Dameron Jessie's Girl
by Braang
Summary: After making it into "The Glee Project", Damain McGinty finds himself mixed with feelings never felt before.
1. Chapter 1: Originality

Chapter 1

It was exciting. Very nerve-wracking, but exciting none-the-less. Out of 40,000 people, I was chosen as one of the twelve contestants to be on the first season of the Glee Project! I never expected to get this far when I left the comfort of my own home in Derry City, Ireland. I also never expected to get, well, the best thing in my life.

"I can't believe I'm actually here!" They had just announced the top twelve people who made it into the actual Glee Project. I was overwhelmed. I actually made it in.

"Yes!" I watched as some dreadlock boy, Samuel or something, punched his fist into the air. He was a top twelve, too. Some really pretty girl with black, wavy hair just smiled, like she had expected it.

Hannah, a girl I had met before they announced the winners, grinned like crazy. Her face was bright red, and her hands were clasped out in front of her face. "Damian, we made it! We did it! We're going to be on the Glee Project!"

I smiled. I couldn't really find words for what I was feeling… It was a mixture of things, nervous being on of them.

Hannah was definitely something else. She was unique. The minute I stepped into where they announced the top twelve contestants, she was there by my side, chattering away. She really didn't strike me as the shy type…

"So, do you want to go check out our dorms?" She asked excitedly. "I mean, you'll probably have a boy's dorm, and I'll have a girl's one, but…" She took a deep breath and laughed. "Sorry, I'm just excited. Well, let's go!"

I smiled and fallowed after her. I was nice to have actually met someone, so I wouldn't be there all alone. As we walked down the hallway, I looked around. This place was awesome. It wasn't that fancy, but it really was gleeful. It distracted me. It was all just so… Amazing!

"Shit! Ow!" I rubbed my chin in pain.

"Omigosh! I'm so sorry!" A short, young-looking girl sat up. "I didn't mean to!" She had short brown hair, and a few freckles on her cheeks, by her nose. "I'm Ellis, one of the contestants." She tilted her head, smiling. "Damian, right? Your friend, Hannah, is way up ahead. I kind of got in your way." She scrambled to stand up. "So, I guess I'll see you later!" She then skipped off like a ten-year-old.

"Ellis," I said to myself. "That seems easy enough to remember…"

"What's easy to remember?"

I looked up. Standing there was a tall, lanky boy. He had blond hair, a cardigan, nerdy glasses, and was standing pigeon-toed. I recognized him as one of the contestants. That's when I realized I was still sprawled out on the floor. I quickly stood back up, trying not to make a complete fool of myself. "Oh, I um… I'm trying to remember everyone's name…" Great. I sound like a freaking idiot.

He laughed, and then held out his hand for me to shake. "Well, I'm Cameron, Cameron Mitchell. You're that Irish kid, right?"

Awesome. He was amazingly smart. It wasn't like I had a super thick accent or anything… "Oh, yeah. I'm Damian McGinty." I took his hand and shook it. It was warm, sweaty, and surprisingly comfortable. Not that I liked it or anything.

"May I ask what you were doing on the floor?"

I sighed. This was not the first impression I wanted to make. I felt like I needed this guy to like me or something… "Oh, some girl…. Ellis… Ran into me. Then she scampered off. She seems nice, though."

Cameron scrunched up his nose, which made me giggle for some reason. "Sure, Ellis is nice. She has that trait down. I just wish she acted more her age…"

I cocked my head, confused. "Oh yeah, I was meaning to ask… How old is she, anyway? I thought you had to be like, eighteen or something to be here."

He nodded. "Yeah, she's eighteen, don't worry. She looks young though, doesn't she? I think it's adorable."

I imagined Ellis. She did seem adorable… But the little kid kind of cute. Not the kind of girl I'd hit on or anything. "Yeah, adorable…"

"So, where you headed, Damo?" Cameron asked, eyeing me with one eyebrow raised slightly.

What was up with this guy? I had met him less than fifteen minutes ago, and he had already given me a nickname! "Oh, I was just going to check out the dorms. Because I need to unpack. Because I have a lot of stuff…"

Cameron raised his hands. "Kay, I get it. Fallow me, I'll lead you right to 'em."

When we passed the girl's dorm, I wondered right away if Hannah was in there.

"This, my friend, is the boy's dorm." He opened the door. It was a little smaller than I had expected, but it was pretty cool. "It has everything," he explained. "From beds and showers to dressers and bathrooms. It has ev-er-y-thing." He exaggerated each syllable.

I nodded, taking in every little detail. After convincing myself I had memorized every little thing in the room, I suddenly started to feel very hot. "Hey, Cameron, do you mind if I take a shower? All of this commotion is a little much for me, ya' know?"

He shrugged. "Of course. I'll just hand out here so we can look around a bit more afterwards. Take your time, or whatever."

In the shower (which was surprisingly nicer than I expected), I just let the water run down my face, letting everything that happened to me today soak in. I got into the Glee Project, and had a one twelfth chance of actually getting a role on Glee. I had three potential mates so far. Hannah would be anyone's mate, so hopefully I was no exception. Ellis has just bumped into me, but she did seem nice… And Cameron… I sighed. Cameron seemed unique, like Hannah, but in a different way. He just had this charm about him, and it was very intriguing indeed.

"Ah, shoot!" I bit my lip. I forgot to grab a towel. "Ugh, dammit… What should I do now?"

I then remembered Cameron was still here. "Cameron!" I called, praying he would hear me. Sure enough, I heard the door fly open and Cameron come running in.

"What's wrong? Are you okay?" He panicked, looking around for me. I had forgotten I was still in the shower, so he couldn't see me.

"Yes, I'm fine. Can you please grab me a towel?"

"That's what you wanted? A damn towel? Couldn't you have gotten it yourself? You have legs that work just fine, don'tcha?"

"Please, Cameron," I begged. "I don't even know where they are!"

"In the cupboard. Come get it yourself, Damo." I heard him hold back a giggle.

"But… Cameron, I'm… Cameron, I'm naked! Please," I pleaded.

"Oh, come on. We're both guys here. Besides, it's not like I'm going to look at you or anything…"

That made me blush like crazy. "Cameron!" I shrieked, fed up with him. "Please, just grab me a freaking towel!"

He laughed. "Ok, fine, you win. But from now on, no more towels. I refuse to be your personal towel boy." He threw the towel over the top of the shower. I wrapped myself in it, and stepped out.

"Ah, dammit." I slipped on some water and fell hard on my stomach. "Ow…"

Cameron stood over me and looked down. "Well. You surely aren't the most graceful one, are you?" He shook his head, grinning. "Second time I've seen you on the floor in an hour."

"Whatever," I mumbled. "Just help me up please." He gripped my wrist hard, and struggled to pull me to my feel. "Ouch, Cameron, stop! Ow!"

He let go of me. "You ok?"

"I hope so," I hissed, rubbing my wrist. "I'd better go get some clothes on. It sure beats standing here butt-naked."

Cameron's eyes lit up. "Oh, I'll come too!"

When we opened the door, the rest of the boy contestants were in there. They were staring at me with wide eyes. I was confused at first, but then it came to me. Other than the towel I was wrapped in, I was completely naked, and a couple of seconds ago, I was yelling at Cameron to 'stop'. Sounds pretty sexual if you ask me.

"What… Happened…?" Some boy named Matheus asked. "Are you guys… Okay?"

Cameron nodded. "Better than ever!"

Bryce's eyes got even wider. "Are you guys, um…"

"No! I only met him an hour ago!" I explained. I had a bad feeling about this…

"Well, whatever. Just get dressed and ready so we can practice for our first homework assignment," Alex instructed.

"Um, okay…" I suddenly felt uncomfortable with Alex telling me what to do, so I grabbed my clothes and sprinted into the bathroom. My first day wasn't at all like I wanted it to be.

…

"Signed, sealed, delivered, I'm yours!" We all sang in perfect unison as Darren Criss watched us, a giant smile plastered on his face.

"You guys were all amazing!" He complimented each of us, except for Emily, who was flirting with him and making it uncomfortable for everyone. "But," He started. "If I had to choose a winner, it would be…" He scanned us again. "I have to say… Matheus!"

Matheus jumped us, obviously excited. "Thank you so much! I won't let you down! I promise!" He had won one-on-one time with Darren and a featured role in our big group number, which was Firework, by Katy Perry. Classic Glee.

…

Ok guys, sit in a circle," Zack, our choreographer instructed. "We need to talk about our 'Firework' number."

What was there really to talk about? We just needed to learn how to do our little dance, right?

"You need to think of what you'd be voted for in high school. Like, best dressed or something like that. Be original!" He informed us, a wide grin on his face.

"Well," Lindsay said. "I would be most likely to start a charity. I just love giving back and stuff…"

I rolled my eyes. She didn't seem to be like the charity type. "Well, um…" I thought for a second. "I'd be most likely to become a soap star." The way it came out sounded like super star. It made me sound really self-centered or something, which I'm not.

When it reached Cameron, he smiled slightly. "I'd be most likely to stay a nerd forever…" He blushed.

Hannah looked confused. "Cameron, you're not a nerd… You're awesome!"

I smiled. I had introduced the two the day we got her. They were instant friends. It was great that they got along so well.

"Aw, Hannah, you're so sweet." He cleared his throat. "Well, I'll be right back," He mumbled as he stood up. "I really need to get a drink of water." When he sat back down, his knee rested up against mine. I thought he would move it, but when he didn't, I started to feel somewhat uncomfortable. I turned to Hannah for help, but she was busy chatting away with Marissa.

"Damian? Are you okay?" Cameron asked, looking kind of worried.

"Huh?" I blink. "Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Sorry…"

"Okay… I was just making sure." He flashed me a smile. "Can't have anything wrong with you for our first number, now can we?"

"Yep…" I mumbled. "Zach, are we almost done…? I need to go back to the dorm for something…" This horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach was returning. One I remembered all to well from my younger days.

"Just a second, Damian." He clapped his hands together. "Meet me back here in an hour, everyone. We need to go over our choreography. See you all then!"

When he dismissed us, I bolted out of there. I felt hot, sweaty, and kind of gross. I just felt, well, wrong. I pulled out my cell phone. It cost a lot of money to make a call from where we were to Ireland. Then again, I guess this was worth it.

There was a click on the other end. "Hello?"

I took a deep breath. "Mom." Did I really want to do this? Or was that feeling in the pit of my stomach just some random one-time thing?

"Damian? Is that you? Are you okay?" She sounded really worried.

That was the second time I've been asked that today. Awesome. "Mom… I wanna go back home." I bit my lip, holding back tears.

She gasped. "Honey, are you sure? You have a great career ahead of you!"

"Don't worry, Mom. I'm sure. I miss home. I can't take not seeing you…" A tear ran down my cheek.

"Damian… You've only been there three days! Don't you want to give it some time?"

"No Mom. I'm coming home as soon as I can book a flight. Please, don't worry about me." I gulped. What was I doing?

"Well, okay then. I guess I'll see you then, Baby. Love ya'".

"Love you too, Mom. Bye." I sighed. "Well, better get packing," I mumbled to myself. I had only been here for two nights, yet almost all of my stuff was scattered around everywhere. After about half of it was where it was supposed to be, Hannah and Cameron walked in.

"What are you doing?" Hannah asked. Her tone sounded kind of nervous.

I looked at them, feeling very guilty. "I… Guys, I'm going home."

Hannah's eyes widened and her jaw dropped. Cameron glared at me. "What? You can't just come here, become my best friend, and then just ditch me!" His eyes softened, and he looked at me, pleading silently.

My stomach jumped slightly. "I'm… Cameron, I'm your mate?"

He nodded. "Not only that, you're my best friend, Damo. I've only known you for a few days, but you're so easy to talk to, and you just get me. And, as far as I can tell, you're really awesome." He grabbed my shoulders and stared into my eyes. "Please, don't leave me Damian."

I squirmed out of his grip. His touch sent a jolt of electricity down my spine. "Well, um…" I looked at both of their miserable expressions. "I mean, well, I guess I could stay…"

"Yes!" Cameron exclaimed, high-fiving Hannah. I called my mom and told her I'd see her when the Glee Project was over and done. I couldn't desert my friends. Not now, not ever.

…

Oh Jesus. Dancing. Who can live with it? "Ow! Goodness! I'm sorry, McKynleigh…"

She smiled, rubbing where I had elbowed her. "It's okay Damian… I know you didn't mean to."

Cameron raised an eyebrow. "Smooth. You fall down a lot and you're kind of an awkward dancer. Schweet."

I sighed, blushing. "It's okay," Hannah reassured. "To be honest, I think it's kind of adorable.

Cameron's face lit up, and he nodded. This caused me to blush even more.

"You guys," Zach said. "Quit it with your little love triangle and get back to practicing, please." Bryce snorted at his little 'love triangle' joke. Zack swiveled around, glaring at him. "That goes for you too."

Bryce held up his hands in defense. "Okay, jeeze, sorry." But he just went right on back to messing around.

Zach rolled his eyes. "Give me a break," He mumbled, looking back at us. "Please, get back to work."

I went back to practicing my dance moves. How am I ever going to win this? I dance worse that I'd even though possible! Good think this wasn't a dancing competition…

…

I looked at the clock. It was only one in the freaking morning. I couldn't sleep. Today was very interesting. We had learned and (almost) perfected all of our choreography for 'Firework'. Tomorrow, we'll start recording. Hopefully we'll finish by then, too. I don't know how much more of this I can take.

I sighed. Hannah was always happy and excited about whatever we did, and Cameron just always stayed calm. I admired that about them. Although I may not show it much, I've felt nervous and jittery this whole time, and we've only been here for a week.

I miss Derry City. I miss my family. Quite honestly, I don't know why I did this in the first place. Then again, I have this amazing opportunity lying ahead of me. Plus, I've made eleven new, awesome mates! What's more to want?

I looked at the bed to my right. Samuel was sound asleep. I wish I could be like that right now. All of these freaking thoughts were keeping me awake.

My throat suddenly felt dry. I slowly got out of bed, afraid to wake up one of the other contestants. I didn't need to burden them with any of my problems as an insomniac.

The luke-warm sink water felt good on my throat. Not even thinking about sleep, I sat on the step outside of the bathroom. The cold tile caused me to shiver.

"You cold?"

I looked up to see Cameron peering down at me. "Um, jus' a little…."

He threw a blanket over me. "Enjoy it. It'll warm you up." He sat down next to me. "What are you doing up at this hour anyway?"

I wrapped the fuzzy blanket around me, letting it engulf me in its warmth. "Oh, nothing… Just thinking." I glanced over at him. "And you?"

Cameron shrugged. "I couldn't sleep. All of the excitement, and the contenders, have gotten to my head. It's too hard to sleep with all of it going on. You know what I mean?"

I nodded. "I understand. That's one of the reasons I'm up, too."

He sighed. "We should at least get some sleep… Or making the video tomorrow will be way harder than it should be."

Not knowing how to respond, I just nodded my head slowly. A month ago, I would have never even dreamed of having a mate I could just sit and talk to at two in the morning. Turns out, it just happens to be Cameron.

"Want me to carry you?" Cameron asked, already standing up.

"Cameron!" I hissed quietly, trying not to wake up the others. "I'm eighteen. I think I can walk to my own bed by myself."

He shrugged. "Okay, have it your way. Have a good sleep. I'll see you in the morning, Damo."

I stood up. "Okay Cam, goodnight." I slowly trudged to bed, finally feeling tired.

…

"Work with me, guys," Eric, our video director pleaded. "We only have two days to get this video down."

Bryce harrumphed. "This is bored. Boresville. It's filled with so much freaking boredom."

Emily rolled her eyes. Eric had told her that, in the video, Bryce had to flirt with her. She didn't seem to like him much.

Ellis carried around with her a giant stuffed animal. Cameron was right. She did seem to act a little… Young. And frankly, it was getting on my nerves.

Hannah wriggled with excitement. "My first music video! Yay!"

Cameron nodded. "And hopefully, we'll have many more to come. I'd hate getting kicked off in the first week."

My insides twisted. Yes, getting the boot on the first week would suck. But, with my amateur dancing and ok singing skills, it was possible. I just hope I'll at least make it into next week.

Lindsay pulled her hair up into a ponytail. She looked extremely hot. Beauty was not a problem for her, and she was definitely the prettiest girl here. Even prettier than Marissa, and that was saying a lot.

"Well, aren't you going to get into your costume?" Hannah asked, brushing her hair.

I looked down at what I was wearing. "Well, um, this is my costume. All I need is my prop, and I'm set." I reached into my pocket. "Shoot! My glasses are gone!"

I panicked. Eric had told me I had to take great care of all of the props. Losing my first one probably wasn't the best way to start off the day. Scanning the room, I noticed Cameron helping Alex with something. The sunglasses were hanging from his shirt.

"Hannah," I muttered, elbowing her.

"What?"

I positioned my eyebrows in the cutest possible way I could. "Will you please distract Cameron so I can get his sunglasses?"

She shrugged. "Sure. Just be quick about it. We're shooting the video in like, five minutes."

"Ah, screw it. I'm just going to take it from him." I stomped over to Cameron. "Give me my glasses."

He pivoted to look at me. His eyes were wide with surprise. "Well. That's not the right way to ask."

"Get ready, everyone! Shooting starts in two minutes!" The camera men were getting everything ready.

"Please Cameron. I need them. Eric will kill me if I don't have them! Please!" I pleaded with him, using my eyebrows for the cuteness effect.

He took the glasses out of his shirt. His eyes shifted from the glasses to me. "Well… Okay, here you go. Only because you asked so nicely. Now go get ready. Can't be late for shooting now, can we?" He tilted his head just the tiniest bit, flashing me a toothy grin.

"No, we can't! Thank you, Cameron!" I rushed quickly to my position for the video.

…

"And that's a wrap!" Eric finally announced, clapping his hands.

I felt relief. After lip-synching my part over five times, I was ready to be done. Cameron wiped his head. "Finally done." He smiled towards me.

"Thank goodness," I muttered. "If I have to wink at that stupid camera one more time, I'll…"

He cut me off. "Oh, psht. You got to wink at the camera? Lucky! Did you do it all sexy-like?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. I just winked how I normally would. Nothing really special about it."

Emily walked over to us. "Hey guys!" She grinned, chewing her gum. "Did I do great? You guys were both awesome too!"

Cameron put his hand on her shoulder. "Thank you! You were awesome!"

I turned to her. "Thank ya', Emily. You were amazing. How was it having Bryce flirt with you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me. I never want to talk about that again… Ugh." She shuddered.

Cameron cocked his head. "You may be out of luck. When the first episode of the Glee Project airs, I can promise there will be at least one fan that wants you and Bryce together. And I know you'll have that one amazing fan that loves you way more than everyone else. More than me, even!" He grinned.

Emily's eyes widened. "Seriously? Why did I agree to do this stupid video?" She ran off to slap Bryce or something. That's what I would do if I was her. But, I'm not her, and it's not like me to just go up and slap someone for the heck of it.

Hannah grabbed my arm. "Wasn't our first music video great? I can't wait to do more!" Her smile stretched across her face. It was a miracle it didn't split in half.

Cameron's eyes lit up. "Who's excited for the bottom three tomorrow?"

I glared at him. "Please explain to me how the hell I could be excited for this." To be honest, I was preparing myself to go home.

He smiled. "Oh, come on Damian. It's not like you'll be the one who gets kicked off. You're too awesome for that."

My stomach flipped. "Unless, of course, Ryan Murphy hates my guts or something like that."

Hannah gave me a playful shove. "Get real! Everyone loves Damian McGinty, and we haven't even been here for a full week!"

I blushed. It was true. Tonight would be our fifth night here. Hannah and Cameron were already such amazing friends. "Thank you, guys…"

Cameron smirked. "Do you want to go back to the dorm and rest? We've had a full day of recording."

I nodded. "Yes please. I need a shower, badly. I haven't moved around much today, but I feel, well, sweaty and gross."

"Okay then, let's go. While you shower, I'll just wait for you, and the other way around." He raised an eyebrow at me. "Right?"

I shrugged. "Sounds good to me. The other guys should be in there soon. They'll surely keep you company."

…

The shower felt amazing. Granted, I've never been very picky with showers, but this one just felt perfect. All the stress of the competition just seemed to vanish. The water was simply flawless. The pressure massaged my scalp, my neck, my back. I shuddered, turning it off. This was the kind of thing you'd never want to end.

I stepped out of the shower and groaned. Once again, I forgot to grab a towel. At least now I knew where they were. I dashed over to the dark cupboards. There were plenty of clean towels in there.

Towel in hand, I turned around. I gulped. Cameron was standing right there. He looked surprised, his jaw dropped. And yet, he didn't look away. He was staring into my eyes. I then realized I was as naked as a jay-bird.

"C-Cameron!" I stammered, wrapping the towel around me. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

He shook his head. "What? Oh, um… Nothing! I was just coming to see if you needed a towel!"

"Seriously Cameron! Knock if you need to come in!" I growled at him.

He looked away, his face a deep shade of red. "I'm sorry," He muttered. "I didn't know you were, um, naked. I'm sorry, Damian. You're right. I should be more careful."

He looked sincere enough. I sighed. "Okay Cameron, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blow up at you… It's just… I'm just stressed for eliminations, that's all."

"Oh… Well, makes sense. I'm nervous too, but, well, I'm trying my best not to show it." He forced a smile.

I looked into his eyes. I could tell her was nervous. It wasn't obvious, not at all, but somehow, I could just tell. "I see… Well, I'm going to um, go get some clothes on."

We both left the bathroom in silence. He sat on his bed while I started to get my clothes on. While my pants were half-way on, he turned to me.

"Damian?"

"Yes?"

"Do you like me?"

I froze, and my stomach did a little Irish jig. "Uh, what do you mean…?"

He shrugged, looking down. "Oh, I don't know… I don't really have a lot of friends at home. I just need someone that will listen to me, and put up with me and stuff."

I pulled my shirt over my head. "Cameron, of course you're my mate! Sure, we've only known each other for a few days, but you seem cool enough."

He gulped. "Okay, thank you. I'm sorry to bother you."

I let out a snort. "Bother me? Cameron, you haven't bothered me at all! I adore having someone talk to me."

Cameron flopped onto the bed, smiling. "Okay. Thank you, Damian. I really appreciate it."

…

Jessie's Girl. It was obviously a popular American song. Too bad I've never heard it before in my life. And yes, here I am, two minutes away from belting it out in front of Ryan Murphy himself.

Yes, I'm in the bottom three. Although I was expecting it, I didn't feel any less lousy when they announced my name. I was here along with Bryce and Ellis.

"Hello, I'm Damian McGinty, and I'll be singing 'Jessie's Girl'." The music started and my heart pounded. This was it! Time to show Ryan Murphy what this little Irish boy was made of.

I belted out the lyrics, surprised that I had remembered them. But, when the song was over, a moment of panic rushed over me. I had been singing "I wish that I WAS Jessie's girl" instead of "I wish that I HAD Jessie's girl".

"Is that you?" Ryan Murphy asked. "Because, I could write for that, you know."

I gulped. "Um, no sir… I'm not gay."

He shrugged. "Well, I thought it was very good. You may return to your dorm now. Good luck!"

I trudged out of the auditorium. My heart raced. In the dorm, I was completely silent. Everyone else seemed to be, too.

Robert walked in. "Unfortunately, the list is up. You all did amazing this week, and I'm heartbroken to see one of you go. You may go see if you made it into next week. Good luck, all."

My stomach flopped as I made my way to the callback list. I had messed up my song. I turned it gay, for goodness sakes! There was absolutely no way I could be called back.

I cautiously opened my eyes. "Not called back: Bryce". I squealed like a ten-year-old. I did it! I made it into next week! I danced around the room, overcome with joy. I did it. I am officially part of this competition.


	2. Chapter 2: Theatricality

_A/N- Hey guys! Braang here. Thank you all for reading my story! I really do appreciate it! I'm glad you enjoy my story c: I know Cameron and Damian, and pretty much everyone is OOC, but hey, I suck at staying in character. Sorry guys… This chapter is dedicated to KTEW. Go check out some of her Dameron writing. Pretty awesome if you ask me ^^_

Chapter 2

"Pst, Damian, wake up." Cameron was shaking me. "Come on Damo, get up."

I rolled over. "What time is it, Cam…?" I mumbled.

"Oh, I don't know… Around one, maybe. C'mon, get up! I really need to show you something."

My eyes flickered open. Cameron was leaning down, his head tilted to the side, and dangerously close to me. "What is it…?" I asked groggily.

"Just get up! It's really cool Damian. Just come see… Please?"

I yawned, my sleepy eyes half-open. "Hm, carry me," I muttered. I was too tired to even think of moving.

Much to my surprise, Cameron actually picked me up. He scooped me up bridal style. I wrapped my arms tightly around his neck. Cam had probably woken up recently too, so he may still be half-asleep, and I don't want him to end up dropping me.

Almost falling back asleep in his arms, a loud, booming sound woke me up. I yelped quietly, and Cameron pulled me closer. It felt safe, being pressed against him.

Calm down, Damo. It's okay. I promise," He reassured.

Cameron carried me for a few minutes. My eyes were closed, so I had no clue where we were going to end up. Another boom jolted me. I was fully awake now. We were outside. "Um, Cameron? You can put me down now."

He smiled and set me down. "Watch the sky." He gestured toward the nearby city.

Another loud boom caught my attention. My face lit up, and I grinned. "Oh my gosh! Fireworks!"

Cameron nodded. "Beautiful, isn't it? I used to love watching fireworks… Still do. Even when nobody wanted to come watch them with me, that wouldn't stop me from going to the park and watching them by myself."

We both took seats in the chairs set up outsides. "Why are they setting off fireworks at this time of the year?"

He shrugged. "Beats me. I wouldn't know. The sound woke me up, so I wanted to know what it was. When I realized they were fireworks, I just had to come and get you. You're a really deep sleeper. I was shaking you for like, five minutes, before you woke up."

I blushed. We sat in silence, watching the beautiful display of the wonderful fireworks. "Um, why?"

Cameron turned to me, his eyes glowing with confusion. "Why what?"

I looked down, kind of embarrassed. "Why did you choose me to come see the fireworks, instead of, Samuel or something…?"

He looked away, his cheeks a rose pink. "Because anyone else would judge me. They would look at me like I was crazy or something, waking them up at one in the morning. Besides," He added, smiling faintly. "You're easy to talk to, Damian McGinty."

My stomach did a small flip. "Really? Well, you are too, Mr. Cameron Mitchell."

We sat quietly. The sky truly was beautiful. I can't remember the last time I watched fireworks. There was New Years, but that was forever long ago. Plus, I never found it very important to stay up late just to watch a clock change.

"Simply amazing," I muttered under my breath. Glancing over to Cameron, I caught his eyes. That feeling in the pit of my stomach returned. I looked away quickly, feeling uneasy.

"Are you okay?" He asked, keeping his eyes on me.

I swallowed. "Um, yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry." My voice sounded different for some reason. "Cam, does my voice sound weird to you?"

He smiled. Again, my tummy danced. "Well, it doesn't sound weird… Your accent seemed to get a little thicker."

I raised an eyebrow. My accent got thicker? That usually only happens when I get very emotional, and I didn't feel like that right now. "Oh… Well, we should probably go inside now."

The fireworks were done. The only noise now were crickets, and our steady breathing. We got up silently. The feeling in my stomach grew worse. I know I've felt this before… I just can't remember when.

"Would you like me to carry you back?" Cameron asked, his arms out, beckoning towards me.

I didn't want him to have to carry me. I know I'm heavy. "Are you sure?"

He nodded. "Of course."

"Well… Yes please."

He scooped me up gently and I flung my arms around his neck without thinking. My eyelids felt really heavy, and a yawn escaped my mouth. By the time we finally reached our dorm, I was asleep.

…

I gulped when I saw what our homework assignment was. Theatricality. The song it went along with was "Bad Romance", by Lady Gaga, I liked Lady Gaga just fine, and I had nothing against the song itself. But… I'm not really known for being theatrical.

Alex and Lindsay's grins were the biggest I've ever seen. Theatricality probably came naturally to them. Those lucky dogs.

Hannah was excited. I could see it in her eyes. "Theatricality! There's been a whole Glee episode devoted just to theatricality. And they sang 'Bad Romance' too!" She squealed. "I can't believe it!"

Marissa shrugged. "I've never really been theatrical before. I guess I could try, though."

Cameron looked tired. I was asleep in his arms before we had even gotten inside. He might have stayed up a little longer, afterwards. "Cam? You okay?"

He shook his head to wake himself up. "What? Oh, yep, I'm fine. Just a little tired, that's all…"

Hannah shrugged. She didn't know about last night. I figured there was really no point in telling her. It's not like anything super important happened.

Alex and Lindsay looked as giddy as ever. They were definitely the most theatrical there. It would be interesting to watch their performances.

I can't even begin to tell you how long we practiced. Whenever I thought we finally had it right, someone else would point out something we sucked at. It was nothing compared to the walk in the park we had last week. We had eleven contestants left, and it was really starting to feel like an actual competition.

…

Idina Menzel. To most of us, she was just Shelby on Glee. Lindsay, however, thought otherwise. Her eyes lit up when Idina walked in, and I heard her mumble "Elphaba" under her breath. Some musical, I'm guessing.

Throughout the whole song, I felt sick. I know I wasn't, but I was genuinely nervous. Why never occurred to me, but I hated the feeling.

In the end, I didn't win. Not that I had expected myself to or anything, but it doesn't feel any better. Alex ended up being the winner. I'm not surprised. He was the most theatrical guy I've ever met.

Our big group number was "We're Not Gonna Take It". I guess we're going to be dressed up like rock stars or something. Honestly, it sounds pretty cool. When I was little, I loved to pretend to be a rock star in a rock band. My parents laughed at me (in a loving way, of course).

"This is going to be totally hot," Samuel commented. He had the rocker look.

Marissa nodded, agreeing. She snuck a quick glance at him, causing her eyes to twinkle.

I chuckled, causing Cameron to bring his attention toward me. Blushing, I tore my eyes away from his. My stomach sunk again.

"Are you okay?" Hannah asked quietly.

"Yes, I am… Thank you for your concern," I murmured back.

Emily gnawed on her finger nail. "I don't know about you guys, but… I usually don't rock out." She offered us a small, weak smile.

"Well, I'm excited," Matheus announced, grinning widely. He may be small, but he had a strong voice, almost perfect for this type of song.

"I think it'll be fun! It's not something I'd normally do. It'll be nice to try something different." McKynleigh smiled, her eyes closed.

My stomach churned again. It's been feeling weird a lot recently. Not like I was sick, or going to throw up or anything… I've had this feeling before, back in Ireland, but I just can't remember when or why.

"Damian, are you excited?" Cameron asked, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Hm? Oh, yes, of course I'm excited! Are ya' out of your silly little head, Cameron?"

He laughed. "I am too. But, um… Don't famous rock stars always have to wear makeup and stuff?"

My face fell, along with my stomach. "Makeup…?" I had worn makeup before. It made our faces pop, and look better when we had our old Celtic Thunder performances, and they made us wear it for the music video last week. But… Rock star makeup was just so… Popping.

Matheus shrugged. "I wouldn't worry about it, Damian. If you have to wear it, chances are, we'll all have to."

I shot him a smile. I truly did love our Glee Project cast, even if it was only week two. They were supportive, and (well, most of the time) nice. They make me feel special, needed.

…

I yawned. Cameron and I had been practicing our song all day, and frankly, I was tired. My yawning was contagious. Not long after it escaped my mouth, Cameron yawned as well. "What time is it…?" I asked, reaching for his watch.

He whisked it out of my grasp and looked at it. "Only four. Dinner's in two hours."

I yawned again. "Eh, whatever. I need a nap." Without thinking, I leaned on Cameron's shoulder, closing my eyes. I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes, he was asleep too.

I stayed in my exact position, afraid to wake him up. Suddenly, I bolted upright. That woke him up.

"Hm…? Damo, you okay…?" He asked groggily, stretching.

My hand rested on my abdomen. "Uh, sure… My stomach…" It didn't hurt. It never did. It just felt weird. Kind of tight and twisted.

Cameron laughed, still half-asleep. "Damian, you look like you're having pregnancy pains or something…"

I glared at him. "Shut up. I'm a guy."

He shoved me playfully off the bed. "And I'm not stupid. We should probably go. I would imagine we're probably missing dinner..."

I tensed up. That would mean everyone probably saw us sleeping together… My stomach got tighter.

Cameron must have read my mind, because he gave me a reassuring smile. "Don't worry. It's not like we were really doing anything."

Yeah, I thought. We were just sleeping together, on each other, on my bed. No biggie. "Well, I um… Should we go to dinner?" I hoped food would settle my stomach down. I was dying to know what was wrong with it.

"I'd love to," Cameron answered, helping me up off of the floor. "I'm starving."

…

Dinner was nice. I sat in between Matheus and Ellis, and the unsettling feeling in my stomach went away. I'm almost convinced it's from the stress of the competition, bit honestly, I don't know for sure. It would be nice to figure out the base of the problem.

Ellis was tired, like me. About five minutes after dinner, when we were just talking, she rested her head on my shoulder. I sighed. I hated waking people up, but I didn't plan on sitting here all night.

As if reading my mind, Emily tenderly lifted Ellis away from me. She stayed sound asleep in Emily's arms. I shot her a smile. She mouthed out "You're welcome!"

"She looks so peaceful when she sleeps," I said to Cameron.

"Yeah, so do you two," Samuel remarked, causing Marissa to giggle quietly.

Cameron's face grew red, and I imagine I was probably blushing too. "Um… We didn't really realize we were, uh, like that," Cameron muttered.

"Don't worry!" Samuel laughed. "I was kidding. It's all good. I was the only one who saw it, anyway."

I grinned. Despite his hard look, Samuel was pretty awesome. We got along really well. I liked just about everyone here, really. Especially Hannah and Cameron… Cameron is the best mate I've ever had!

"You all ready to go back to the dorms?" Lindsay asked. "Let's just go to the boy's dorm, so we can let Ellis here sleep."

I shrugged. "Whatever. Sounds good ta' me."

Hannah nodded. "Of course! I can't wait to talk it up with you guys!"

…

We all doubled up on beds so we had enough room for everyone to fit. It would have been easier if it was just us guys, but we now had ten people in here. My "partner" was Cameron. I was lying on my stomach, and he was sitting cris-crossed.

"So, are you guys totally pumped for the video?" Alex asked, eyes twinkling. If anyone was excited, it was him.

"I don't know," I answered, shrugging. "Honestly, this is the first time I've ever been very theatrical… At least, it's not really what I've been known for."

Cameron smirked. "I'm excited to see Damian here in makeup."

I glared at him. I wasn't really looking forward to this whole makeup thing… It reminded me too much of a punk rocker, even if that's what we were supposed to be.

"It won't be too bad," Matheus said. "It'll just make us look hot." He raised his eyebrow at Emily, who rolled her eyes and pushed him off the bed. They both laughed giggled.

Marissa glanced at Samuel, then at me. I think she knew I knew about her little crush. It wasn't that obvious, but I caught her little hints every time they were dropped. It made me smile.

Cameron's foot touched my side lightly. He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. I squirmed uncomfortably. Cameron moved his foot again. My stomach jumped. A giggle escaped my lips. Was Cameron…? Tickling me?

I moved out of his reach. It didn't work. He lurched forward, attacking my stomach. "Cameron, stop!" I laughed hysterically. "Please!"

He ignored me until I fell off of the bed. It made this hallow whump sound… Plus, it hurt like heck.

When I calmed down, I struggled to get back onto the bed. My sides hurt. Everyone was staring at us. I gulped, and Hannah started cracking up. "You guys are too funny!"

Lindsay had tears streaming down her face, struggling to hold back her share of laughter.

Cameron smiled triumphantly at me. My stomach twisted up again.

"What are you guys laughing at…?" Yawned a sleepy Ellis. She was standing in the doorway, rubbing her eyes. Marissa grabbed her hand and pulled her to the bed she and Hannah were sharing. She seemed to be the motherly figure of the Glee Project cast. I admired that about her. Ellis curled up next to her, very much awake by now. "So what happened…? Laughing woke me up." She pointed to me and smiled. "And you were yelling at Cameron. That contributed, too."

I blushed, along with Cameron. Lindsay spoke up. "Oh, well, Cameron and Damian were just sitting on the bed together and, well… I think Cameron just came out and attacked him! Next thing I know, Damian is on the floor, groaning about his stomach!"

Cameron raised an eyebrow. "Your stomach is acting up again?"

"Only because you were tickling it!" I snapped, praying that was true. It was kind of worrying now knowing what caused these odd feelings in my gut.

"Maybe you should get it checked out," He suggested, shrugging.

"Maybe you should stop messing with me!" I hissed, immediately taking it back. I must admit, having him tickling me wasn't that bad… "Just kidding," I whispered.

He smiled slightly, his eyes twinkling. "Damian, you know you just can't stop me."

"No!" I shrieked when he lunged at me. "Get away from me!" By now, everyone else seems to be chasing me. Ticking me wasn't really that big of an honor. Finally, I just gave up and locked myself in the bathroom.

"Aw, you ruined it," Hannah laughed on the other side of the wall. "You can come out now. We won't hurt you."

"We promise," Emily added knocking on the door. "Please boo?"

I bit my lip. "Well…. Okay, fine. But Cameron, if you as much lay a finger on me, I will not hesitate to kick you." I opened the door a crack and glared at him. "I'm freaking serious."

"Whatever. Just come out, please." He pleaded with me silently, using his eyes. I gave in and stepped out.

He engulfed me in a huge hug. I almost choked. My stomach fluttered. "Cam, what did I say about touching me?"

He let go and laughed. "Well, I found a loophole. You didn't kick me, did you?" He stuck his tongue out at me."

…

Our choreography turned out to be quite easy. We didn't have too much dancing, and what we did have wasn't too complex. Yet, I still bumped into a few people.

Zach laughed as I collided with Marissa. "Jeez Damian, you're worse that Cory Monteith!"

I laughed nervously. I didn't know whether to take that as a compliment of to be insulted.

"That's a big compliment," Lindsay informed, as if reading my mind. "You're better than Cory. Don't worry."

I shrugged. Being better at being awkward and clumsy didn't seem like something to be very proud of… "Thanks, Lindsay."

She nodded, grinning. "Hey, no problem. You're a natural at it." She walked away to practice her dancing some more.

"What did she want?" Hannah asked, taking a sip of water.

"Jus' insulting my dancing. Nothing new, really," I said, slumping my shoulders slightly.

"Oh. Well, um… No offence, but she's kind of…" Her voice lowered to a whisper. "Between you and me, Lindsay's kind of mean."

"Ah… I can understand that." Lindsay didn't really seam very mean, just kind of a diva, I guess. She did kind of bug me sometimes, though.

"You guys talking about me?" Cameron asked playfully, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

I rolled my eyes. "You wish!" Hannah responded, laughing. I loved how friendly they were together.

"How're you guys doing?" Zach asked, eyeing us. "You don't look like you're practicing."

Hannah smirked. "Then why don't you instruct us?"

He gave us a crooked smile. "Whatever. Just keep working on it guys. You're doing awesome so far. Good luck!"

After he walked away, I stood there, confused. "Good luck? Good luck for what, exactly?"

Cameron shook his head. "Eliminations, duh. We gotta make it into week three. All of us."

"Why all of us?" I asked. "Why not just you?"

He gave me a gentle push. "Silly Damian. How do you think I'd survive it here along? Well, I guess I'd still have Hannah, but…" He gave her a disapproving look, causing her to throw her water bottle at him.

"You are so stupid!" She giggled. "How dare you even think to say that about me?"

"How could I not?" He coked his head. "Oh Hannah Banana, you know I love you to pieces."

She shrugged, smiling. "Yeah, sure, whatever you say. I guess I'll believe you… For now, at least."

I chuckled. "Okay guys, maybe we should actually do some practicing… My moves could definitely use some work!"

…

"Gah! Stupid pencil," I spat, angrily glaring at the makeup pencil.

"You okay?" Hannah asked, teasing her hair. "That sounded pretty freaking painful."

"I'm fine. How do you girls manage to put this crap on every morning?"

She shrugged. "I usually don't wear eyeliner. Be lucky you don't have to wear mascara." She laughed as she applied some herself. "It takes years to be able to get it on right.

Groaning, I tried my best to get the eyeliner on again. I cursed quietly under my breath as I poked my eye again. "Hey, Cam, could you help me for a second?"

"Sure, I'll be there in a sec. Hold on." I almost choked when he walked over. My stomach twisted up violently. He wasn't wearing his glasses, two paint streaks of blue and red ran across his face, and his hair was a mess. "What do you need?"

"Uh, I um… Makeup." I answered, flustered for some reason. "I mean, I need some help getting this eyeliner on, please." I help the pencil up to show him.

"Don't you mean guy liner?" He snorted. "Of course I can help you. But, you have to promise not to flinch."

"Yes, I promise. I'd do anything for it not to stab my eye again." I practically threw the pencil ay him.

"Okay, let's do this…" He leaned over me, putting the makeup on slowly. My insides churned. He was so close to me… Plus, he smelled good, like nice, clean clothes. "There, done."

I opened my eyes carefully. He was good. It didn't even feel like I had it on. "Done? Really?"

Cameron nodded. "Well, yeah. Unless you want it to get like, really thick. It won't feel very comfortable.

My stomach slowly stopped bothering me. "Oh… Well, okay then. Since when are you the makeup expert?" I raised my eyebrows at him."

"I live with my mom," He muttered, "And she's a makeup freak. She has it on all of the time. I'm not even kidding."

"I didn't say you were!" I blurted out. Shit. Where did that come from? It came out sounding so stupid!

I must've been pretty loud, considering everyone was staring at me. I do the stupidest things around Cameron sometimes…

…

"Zach?" I knocked on our choreographer's door. "May I please talk to you for a second?"

He opened the door. "Sure Damian. What do you need?"

I gulped. "Are you good with health? My stomach has been kind of bugging me lately…"

He motioned for me to sit down. "What do you mean by bugging you? Does it hurt?"

I shook my head. "Nope. It's not painful. It's just… I don't know, really. At the most random times, it twists up, and feels like I'm on a rollercoaster. It's weird, I guess."

"You're eating okay, right? Sometimes a change in diet can confuse and even pain our stomach."

"No! It's not that, I'm positive. I know I've had this feeling before, but I just… I honestly can't remember why."

Zach shrugged. "Well, I'm no doctor, but you seem physically fine to me. I'd imagine it's something mental… Like nerves or something."

Nerves? That made sense. I'm probably just nervous about this whole Glee Project thing. "Okay. Thank you. Now, I have to go to set."

He laughed. "Oh yeah, I forgot that was today. I was wondering why you came here in eyeliner."

…

I scrambled around, looking for Alex and Marissa. I was supposed to stand to the left of Alex, Marissa on his right.

"Whatcha looking for?" Cameron asked, scanning the room.

My stomach jerked. "I, um… Alex and Marissa. I need to be with them."

"Over there," He said, pointing towards the stage. "They look like they want to start shooting, so I'd hurry it up if I were you."

"Thanks Cam." I ran over to my place. "Hey guys. I'm so sorry I'm late! I got caught up in something…"

"Who were you talking to?" Marissa asked, tilting her head to the side. She looks absolutely adorable.

"Oh, just Cameron. Nothing special, really." I itched my nose in the carefulest was possible, trying not to ruin my makeup.

"Cameron, huh?" Her eyes twinkled. "He's really cute. Hot even. Don't you agree?"

My stomach gave a hard jerk. "Huh? Oh, well… Yeah, I guess." It was normal to find your best friend attractive, right? Alex giggled. "What?"

He smirked. "Oh, nothing… Just that you called Cameron hot. He looks like freaking David Bowie"

I felt my face turn red. I hadn't meant to actually say that out loud... But, it wasn't like I liked Cam or anything. I was perfect straight. "I… Didn't mean that?"

Marissa smiled. "Nah, it's fine. I find a lot of girls attractive, and I'm not lesbian. Take Lindsay for instance. I definitely don't have a crush on her, but let's get real. That girl is smoking."

Okay, I had to agree. Lindsay was freaking gorgeous. But, I've just never found a guy attractive before.

…

"And that's a wrap!" Eric announced.

I've never felt such relief in my life. I needed to get this stupid makeup off. "I need a shower," I muttered, trying not to smear the makeup and look stupid.

"Can I come?" Cameron asked, wiping off the paint streaks with a wet paper towel.

I glared at him. "Only if you promise not to come into the bathroom. If you even think about it, I will kick you in the shins."

"Well, okay, fine. I promise I'll leave you alone this time." He flashed me a toothy smile.

Hannah looked confused. "Wait a minute, what happened with the showers? Is there something I need to know about?"

"No, but I'll tell you anyway," Cameron laughed. "Last time Damian took a shower after the video shoot, I accidentally walked in on him. He yelled at me a lot that day."

I turned a dark scarlet. Hannah didn't need to hear this. Nobody really needed to know about it. She smiled. "Oh? So that's why Damian was giving you the cold shoulder last week? Makes sense. I would have done the same."

Cameron shook his head. "Hannah, there is no way you'd be able to do that. You love me too much."

Her eyes widened, and then narrowed. "Okay, fine. You may think you have won, but I always do in the end. I'll get you sooner or later, Robert."

"Hannah," He hissed quietly. "Please don't call me that! You know I hate that name with a passion."

She smiled mischievously. "If you liked the name, there would be no reason for me to call you by it. I told you, Cammy. I win. I always do." She giggled.

I shook my head, tsking my tongue. "You guys are too weird. Why I put up with it, I don't know."

Cameron tilted his head, giving me puppy eyes. "You put up with me because you love me. Right Damian?" He fluttered his eyes for effect.

I resisted the urge to put my hand on my stomach. That would worry Cameron, but it jumped again. "Yes Cam, I love you dearly. Now leave me alone?"

He nodded fiercely. "Sounds good to me! So should we hit the showers?"

I shook my head again. "How about I hit the showers, and you stay in the bedroom, waiting for me?"

Hannah snorted. "Oh my goodness Damian, that sounds so sexual!"

I glared at her.

"Or," Cameron started, "We could both take a shower. There are like, five showers actually in there, and we've only used one. So what do you say? Can we shower at the same time?"

My stomach shoved thoughts of roller coasters to my head; I had this terrible urge to slap Cameron right now. And he was my best friend! Ignoring it, I nodded hesitantly. "Fine. But if you even think of trying anything stupid, I will kick you. Got it?"

He nodded quickly, his eyes bright. "Got it! Oh, and what's your obsession with kicking people? That's your threat for everything!"

I rolled my eyes. "It's my only means of defense. That, and my eyes." I positioned my eyebrows in the most adorable expression I could, causing the passing Ellis to melt. "See? They can help with pretty much everything."

Cameron laughed slowly. "Yeah, they sure do… So, can we go shower now, please?"

"Yeah. I can't take this makeup on my face for much longer. It's starting to harden or something." I scrunched up my nose and the makeup cracked. "See?"

…

"Shit!" I squealed, slipping in the shower, falling hard on my elbow.

"You okay?" Cameron asked from the shower next to me.

"Yep, I'm fine… The water was too hot, so I hurried to turn it down, and I… Slipped." I rubbed my elbow. "I hit my funny bone hard.

He chuckled. "Not so funny now, is it? That must be the worst place to get hit."

"You can say that again," I mumbled. "Hey Cam, how do you get eyeliner off?" It was sticking onto to my eyes like glue.

"I don't know! I think it's just supposed to come off with water. No, wait." He snapped his fingers. "You need makeup remover. It should come off easier that way."

"I don't have makeup remover," I whined, washing my hair. "And I want this stupid stuff off."

"You could always just take it off after the shower. But, you do know you'll have to live with it for a few more minutes."

I groaned. "Okay, fine. It's better to have it on for a few more minutes that have it on forever…"

"Mhm, sounds good! Want me to hand you a towel?"

I gulped. Last time he offered to do that, it turned into disaster. "Um, sure, I guess." I opened the shower door a crack and held my hand out. I pulled it back in when I felt the towel. As soon as I was wrapped up, I stepped out. "Holy crap," I murmured quietly. Cameron was standing there with just the towel wrapped around him. Since he just got out of the shower, he wasn't wearing his glasses. "Cam…?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "Hm?"

My stomach… "Do you have contacts?" I squeaked, trying to ignore the feeling in my belly. "Because, if you do, you should really wear them more often…"

He nodded. "Well, no. My glasses are fake, Damian. But I guess I could just leave them off sometimes. But, only around the dorm. I really love wearing them."

"Oh, um… Okay then, I guess. Let's go change." My stomach jumped. I kind of want this competition to be over, just so these weird stomach qualms will go away.

…

We all waited in the room, completely silent. I wasn't in the bottom three this week. Ellis, Matheus, and McKinleigh had somehow wriggled their way into a last chance performance. I can't imagine this competition without them.

"I want them to stay," I murmured, choking back tears. "It just won't be the same here without them, y'know?"

Marissa nodded slowly. "They're all amazing… None of them deserve to leave. Oh god, this is too much."

Hannah sighed, looking down. This is the first time I've seen her upset like this. "They're all my friends…" She managed a weak smile. "And you know how I get when I miss my friends."

Samuel's eyes were closed. "This is shit. I mean, I know we're supposed to have people get eliminated so we can win, but damn… Why is it so hard?"

Emily coughed. "I can't imagine life without my Chikas. Everyone here is amazing."

I blushed. Emily was great with flattery, and honestly, just a great person all around. I loved the girl.

The door opened and Ellis, McKinleigh, and Matheus stumbled in, not making a peep. They were close to crying. I could tell.

"I sucked," Ellis laughed quietly, trying to brighten the mood. "This week wasn't the best for me… I've never been a very good rocker. I just… I just wish I had a second chance." Tears streamed down her face as Marissa pulled her close, letting her cry on her shoulder.

It took almost everything I had not to break down crying. They didn't deserve to leave.

Cameron mumbled something quietly. "What was that?" I asked, not quite catching it.

He looked down. "This cast honestly makes up the best friends I've ever had. Having one of you go home would be like having an amazing friend move away somewhere…"

McKinleigh looked at him sadly. "Oh Cameron. You know I love you, so much. When I leave, we'll definitely keep in touch." Everyone else in the room nodded, agreeing.

Matheus was the only one not crying. He did look close to it, though. Robert walked in. "Sadly, it's that time gain. Good luck to those in the final three."

McKinleigh, Matheus, and Ellis waved to us sadly as they left the room. A wave of sadness washed over me. One of them was leaving, and I may never see them again. The thought sickened me.

We waited for about five minutes. "Maybe we should do comfort whoever it was," Lindsay suggested quietly, breaking the silence.

Miserable, we got up to leave the room. When we got there, Matheus and McKinleigh were already comforting a very unhappy Ellis. I bit my lip, holding back tears. Ellis wasn't my best friend, and she got on my nerves sometimes, but this was terrible. She was a phenomenal little singer, and her acting skills were pretty awesome.

I gave her a huge hug. It lasted longer than it should have. I didn't have any romantic feelings towards her at all, but I just didn't want to see her go. It broke my heart.

She forced a smile, looking absolutely depressed. "Well guys, I think I should go now…" More tears poured out of her eyes. "I love you, all of you." She gulped, stepping closer to the door. "I'll see you guys again. I promise." And with that, she was gone.

You could say I was relieved to see her go. I get the opportunity to stay another week! I could be thanking her for doing a last chance performance, instead of me. Yet, the only thing I can do is stand here, waiting for the day I can see her again. Until then… Well, I can focus on the competition. The weeks ahead will only get more emotional. I'll have bonded with the other longer, getting to know them better. Maybe losing someone like Ellis in the beginning was good! It teaches you not to get too attached.

"You okay?" Alex asked, looking somewhat worried.

"Yeah," I laughed quietly. "I'm just tired. Plus, I'll miss Ellis. That girl got on my nerves a lot, but," I shook my head. "She was unique."

Cameron nodded. "I agree. No one can replace Ellis." He sighed. "Maybe we should go back to the room."

"Maybe we should," McKinleigh whispered, everyone else agreeing.

I made it into week three. It was only going to get harder from here, but I'm willing to try. Nothing can keep me away from trying my best to win this thing.


	3. Chapter 3: Vulnerability

A/N- Hello darling readers! I'm so happy that people are actually reading this… I never expected it! It makes my heart gush with love for all of you! Just to make it clear, I have nothing against any of the contenders, no matter how bad I make them seem. To be honest, I'm totally in love with Lindsay! She's beautiful. Anyway, enjoy my story! Sowwy it took so long to update!

Chapter 3 

I sat on my bed, trembling. The next thundering clap caused me to yelp and dive under my covers. I hoped I wouldn't start crying. I took a deep, slow breath so I wouldn't hyperventilate.

"Um, Damian?" Cameron pulled the sheets off of me, looking worried. "You okay, Damo?"

I looked up at him, surprised to see him awake. The next boom made me grab onto his arm tightly. "I'm… Fine…" Even I could hear the fear in my voice.

He glared at me. "Damian, I know you. You aren't okay. Now, you don't have to tell me what's wrong, but…" He put his hand over mine. "Please don't lie to me."

I gulped. Sure, this was embarrassing, but there was no reason to keep it from Cameron, my best friend. "I um…" I bit my tongue. Please don't cry, please don't cry… "Cam, I'm kind of scared of thunderstorms." Another crash of thunder made me practically dive into his arms.

He smiled reassuringly. "Oh Damian… You know it can't hurt you, right? It's just a bit of noise."

I shook violently, genuinely terrified, waiting for the next boom. "I know, I know… It's not like I want to be scared or anything, it just… It just petrifies me."

He nodded, gripping my hand tighter. "It's okay. I understand. But can you please calm down? It's kind of scary, seeing you like this."

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. "You're right. I'm overreacting… But shit, why does there have to be a thunderstorm _now_?"

"Maybe so I could be here to comfort you," He suggested, shrugging. "You know you want me to."

It was true. Being around Cameron made me feel safe… "Wait, Cam, what the hell are you doing?" My stomach gave a violent jump.

He wiggled under the covers next to me. "Keeping you safe, silly. The storm can't hurt you now. I can promise you that."

I wanted to shove him off of the bed, but something stopped me. "Well… Okay, fine. But Cam? No funny business, kay? I am _not_ in the mood."

He laughed. "Oh, you never are. You're such a party pooper. But fine. I won't mess with you."

A loud clap of thunder scooted me closer to Cameron. My stomach churned, but I didn't care. All I really wanted right now was sleep, and I was going to get it one way or another.

…

My stomach is what woke me up in the morning. It seemed to bug me at the weirdest times. "Oh my god," I muttered, realizing my situation. I was practically on top of Cameron, our legs intertwined. Plus, his nose was only inches away from mine. Yes, I was afraid to move. I didn't want to wake him up.

Cameron muttered something in his sleep and squirmed closer to me. I gulped, keeping my eye on his nose. Now, there was only a centimeter or two separating us. If it wasn't awkward before, it definitely was now.

His eyes fluttered open slowly. "Hey, Damian," He murmured, stretching. "Did you sleep well?"

I quickly pulled my legs away from his. Could this get any worse? "Um… Yeah. The thunder died down shortly after, but thanks anyway."

Cameron smiled. "Hey, no problem. Always here to help and listen to your problems. Got any more?"

I nodded. "Problems? Yep. How about the fact that it's almost time for the others to get up and you're still in my bed?"

He pouted, giving me the fakest hurt expression I've ever seen. "You do not appreciate my services. Besides, what are they going to thing? That we slept together?"

Sighing, I closed my eyes. "Well, we kind of did… And no offense Cam, but it's kind of gay."

He raised an eyebrow. "You didn't seem like the homophobic type."

My hands shot up in defense. "I'm not! I just… Please, get out of my bed." My stomach was dancing around.

He sighed. "Well, okay. Fine. But next time, I'll put up more of a fight. There's nothing you can do to stop me." He hopped out of my bed and slowly crawled over to his own, trying not to wake up any of the other contestants.

"Thank you," I whispered, mostly to myself. Having Cameron in my bed with me made felt too comfortable, it was uncomfortable.

…

"Are you vulnerable?" Matheus asked me, his head cocked to the side.

I shrugged. "Oh, I don't know… Hopefully. Our vulnerability could cost us the competition, and I'm not ready to give that up yet."

Samuel agreed. "If I can make it into week four, I'll honestly be stoked. Just getting that far is more than I can imagine."

Hannah nodded. "Mhm! It's always been my dream to be on Glee… I never thought I'd actually get the chance!"

"Can we please practice?" Alex begged, looking over the lyrics again. "This assignment seems like a ton of fun."

I gulped. I could already tell this week was going to be hell. "Sure, I guess. What exactly do they mean by 'vulnerable', though?"

Lindsay shrugged. "Maybe like… Well, not weak, just…" She cringed, as if pained. "I don't really know how to explain it."

Cameron groaned. "Well, that helped a ton. But, I actually think I understand what you may mean. Like this?" He gave us an expression that looked, well, vulnerable. "That's the best I can do."

Marissa's eyes widened. "Oh my goodness, Cameron! That was amazing! Like, totally perfect." She did her best to imitate him, and it turned out pretty good. Soon, we were all trying to make Cam's vulnerable face.

He laughed. "Wow guys, if I looked anything like you do, then I'm freaking amazing."

Emily rolled her eyes. "Oh, puh-lease Cameron. You aren't the best one here." She looked around the room, scanning us. "I'd that that title probably goes to Lindsay Pearce."

It was true. Lindsay's look was so convincing, I almost felt bad for her. Almost. "Thanks!" She grinned. "It's kind of natural."

McKynleigh snorted. "I actually think Cameron is the natural. He did it before any or us. That has to mean something, right?"

I shrugged, nodding. "Guess so. He's the original vulnerable-ist. Well, if that even makes any sense."

Cameron grinned in my direction. "Why, thank you Damo. That comment made me happy."

I smiled, and, much to my disgust, my stomach flipped. "Stupid stomach," I hissed under my breath.

"What was that?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, nothing!" Cameron seemed to worry about my stomach whenever I brought it up, so it was best to say nothing. "I'm just talking to myself."

Alex cleared his throat. "Um, I really think we should practice. The song, I mean. Everyone seems to have their facial expressions down."

I held the lyrics out in front of me. This was definitely going to be a long, hard week.

…

"Are you um… You know…?" Matheus asked a very moody Lindsay.

She glared at him. "No," She snapped angrily. "I'm fine. Now leave me alone, _please_."

Cameron glanced over at me and I shrugged. Lindsay was not my problem. It's not like I stalked her or anything. Plus, chances are she was probably just being over-dramatic Lindsay Pearce.

"You guys, please, just leave me alone. I'm tired, that's all. I got like, no sleep at all last night." She scrunched her nose angrily and turned to Matheus. "And I'm not on my period, thank you very much."

He turned away, blushing. I would be embarrassed too, if I had asked her that question. "Sorry," He squeaked.

The camera man waved to us. "Get ready, guys. I'm not going to start recording with you talking about periods and crap. The viewers won't want to watch that." We all sat down obediently in the chairs set up for us, waiting patiently for our guest mentor.

It turned out to be Dot-Marie Jones. She was less intimidating in person that on Glee. I sang my heart out to "Please Don't Leave Me" by Pink, trying my best to imitate the face I made a day back. Hopefully I was as good as everyone else.

Dot-Marie clapped. "Wow guys, that was amazing! You all seemed perfect. I wish I could pick all of you…" She sighed. "But seeing as I can't… I choose Matheus. Baby, you made my cry. My heart broke watching you. You demonstrated pure vulnerability."

Matheus grinned, thanking her. "My second win! Wow. Thank you, really. I can't believe it!"

I sighed. Not winning anything at all really did something to one's self-esteem. All I wanted to do was win just one little homework assignment. How hard should it be?

Cameron mumbled something quietly being me. I turned round to face him, eyebrow raised. He shook his head. "Never mind," He muttered, motioning for me to turn around.

It was my turn to shake my head. "Cam, tell me. Since when do we keep secrets from each other?"

"It's not really a secret," He muttered. "But is it too much to ask? You know, to win a simple homework assignment?"

"I know whatcha mean. I want to win, too. But it's only the third week, right? We still have more chances." I smiled reassuringly at him.

He grinned. "Well, hopefully. What if we…"

I cut him off. "Cameron Mitchell, do not bring that up. I don't want to leave yet, and I don't want to think about leaving. So shut up."

He shrugged. "Whatever. It's not like we can both win… No matter how much we try."

I bit my lip. "Cameron, stop. Please. We aren't gone yes, so please, be quiet. We need to savor our time."

"Yeah Cameron. You two are amazing, and I doubt you'll leave anytime soon," Hannah pointed out, jumping into our conversation.

Cameron shot her a toothy grin. "Why thank you, Miss Hannah. My heart feels very happy right now."

She smiled happily. "Oh, you know I love you. I love seeing my pals smile. 'Specially you, Cam."

Here's the thing about Hannah. She is one of the nicest people you could ever meet. She seemed to be friends with everyone here, no exceptions. I honestly loved the girl to pieces.

Emily nudged me. "Honey, are you okay?"

I shook my head, breaking out of my trance. "Huh? Oh, I'm fine! Sorry." I seemed to be spacing out a lot lately. "Can we go back to the dorms? It feels a little better in there… Not as public, I guess."

Matheus shrugged. "Sounds good to me. But Damian, is anywhere really private here?"

I cringed. The only place where we had complete privacy was in the bathroom or the shower. The video editors were respectful enough to edit out the stuff we would never want our viewers to see, but the whole crew saw it. They told us they would put a little clip of us just hanging out in every episode, so it was easier for our fans to choose a "Fan Favorite". Hopefully they wouldn't dare putting Cameron's little "tickle fest" from last week on air. I'm sure we'd both die of embarrassment. My stomach tightened just thinking about it. "Yikes. Guess you're right. I still think it's more uncomfortable in here… Y'know?"

Marissa nodded. "Damian has a point. At least the Cameron men aren't stalking us in there…" She glared at one of the camera crew men, who just gave her a guilty smile and shrugged.

"We knew it was going to happen," Alex sighed. "We had to sign that thing at the beginning, remember? It said they had the right to put whatever they catch on camera on air. It really sucks."

Samuel grimaced. "Yeah, I remember. And yes, it does suck. I can't say anything to anyone without the fear of it being on TV."

Lindsay rolled her eyes with a look of annoyance on her face. "Oh my goodness you guys. I don't think you understand the honor of being on television. It's quite important, and people actually recognize you!" Her eyes twinkled, and she finally seemed truly excited. "It's going to be so amazing when the 'Glee Project' airs… People will finally know my name!"

"And me," Alex added, clearly annoyed with Lindsay's little "wanna talk about me" performance. "People will know my name, too."

Marissa sighed contently, looking up at nothing. A goofy grin was plastered on her face. "If I have one fun, just one person that likes me the best… I'll be over the moon…"

Samuel raised his eyebrow in her direction. I had a feeling that he liked her back, but sadly, neither of them knew it yet. They were both so wrapped up in the competition, neither of them caught the subtle hints the other one would drop. It was so romantic, yet so stupid. I don't even remember that feeling.

…

"Numb," I muttered quietly, looking down.

Emily looked confused. "Numb? What the heck does that mean?"

This week, for our video, we were doing "Mad World", by Tears for Fears. We had to wear signs that showed our biggest insecurity, or vulnerability. I shrugged. "I don't know. Numb, like not feeling anything. I just haven't really felt anything in… Well, a long time."

"Haven't felt what?" McKynleigh asked quietly and politely.

"Just felt. I haven't felt anything. It's mostly lovey-dovey emotions, I guess. Can't remember the last time I've loved." I looked away, embarrassed.

Hannah pulled me into a big hug. "Aw, Damian…" I sighed and rested my head on her shoulder. "I'm not numb, but at least you're not fat." She smiled weakly.

"Hannah!" Marissa gasped, almost glaring at her. "Take that back. You're beautiful, and you better just shut up about being fat." She grinned. "I'm being serious right now, Hannerz."

Hannah blushed. "Thanks, 'Rissa. You're not too bad yourself.' She playfully batted at Marissa's long, red hair.

"I'm misunderstood," Cameron stated, not looking too embarrassed. "I mean, only about three people understand me completely." He glanced at me, and I felt my stomach dance.

Lindsay cocked her head. "I'm not really fallowing… How is that a vulnerability?"

He shrugged, laughing nervously. "Oh, I don't know… Back in Texas, nobody really liked me. They judged me by the way I dressed and crud like that." He forced a smile. "This will be the week I'm kicked off. Just watch. I'm just… Too comfortable with myself, I guess. I don't really have a vulnerability."

"Everyone has one," Alex whispered, looking almost guilty. "I accept that I'm gay and stuff, but it's still my vulnerability." He shrugged. "People make fun of me and crap, but hey. I can't really do anything about it."

"Well then, I guess 'misunderstood' is my vulnerability. Can't really think of anything better." Cam smirked. "Because I don't really count 'nerd' as a vulnerability."

It was nice to see that Cameron was so comfortable with himself. I was, somewhat. Whenever something happened to me that I didn't like, I'd push it away and ignore it, hoping it would go away. Almost like what I've been doing with these random stomach quakes. Just thinking about them caused me to rest my hand on my tummy.

"Are you okay, Damian?" Lindsay asked. Although sometimes she did have quite a bitchy attitude, she could be genuinely sweet. Sometimes though, she was just kind of annoying. "Anyway, I don't really know what to put on my board. I'm pretty comfortable with myself, ya' know?" We nodded, hoping it would satisfy her. It didn't. She kept talking. I thought it would only last about a minute or two, but no. Lindsay Pearce would not shut up. I grinned and raised my eyebrow at Cameron, who laughed, ducking his head down. Finally, Erik walked in. Nine out of ten of us silently thanked him. I'm sure Lindsay means well, but sometimes she just doesn't know when to stop. She was excellent to talk to when you're in the mood for a story, though.

"So, have you decided on your boards yet? I've been gone half an hour, and I thought that seemed like enough time… Was it?" Erik asked. We all informed him on who was writing what, and what it all meant. "Nice. Those sound awesome. I can't wait to see how they turn out!"

Everyone agreed. These boards were going to turn out great, and the video itself was going to be freaking amazing.

…

They boy's dorm. It's where we usually went when we were all talking together. Once again, we all doubled up on beds. Once again, I was with Cam.

"Hey, Damian?" Alex asked, looking at me from the bed next to ours. "Can I please talk to you in private for a minute?"

"Um…" I glanced at Cameron, who just shrugged. "Sure, I guess." I fallowed him out of the room, feeling nervous for no reason at all. "So, what is it you want?"

Alex peered around the hallway, as if checking for people who could be listening. When he decided it was safe, he looked at me, completely serious. "You wouldn't lie to me, right? Because I need to ask you something, and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't lie."

I gulped, nodding. What was this about? Surely I wasn't in any trouble. I hadn't done anything. "Of course I wouldn't."

He looked around again, and then lowered his voice to a whisper. "Why didn't you put something like gay on your board, like me?"

My eyes widened, and I fell against the wall, stunned. "Wait, what? Are you thinking I'm gay?"

He shrugged. "Nope. I know you are."

My brain whirled in confusion. Alex thought I was gay? Where did he get that silly idea? "Um, excuse me?"

He smirked. "Damian, I'm gay myself. I know when others are, and my gaydar just goes crazy around you. So who is it? Which one drives your hormones insane?"

I stared at him in disbelief. Was this kid for real? I took a deep breath, soaking in everything he had just said. "Alex? Are you sure your, err, 'gaydar', isn't a wee bit broken?" I asked as politely as I possibly could.

He shrugged. "Well, it's definitely possible, but I've never been wrong before. I'm surprised no one has said anything to you before. You practically scream gay."

I cringed, shaking my head. "That's probably because I'm straight, Alex. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a homophobe or anything, I'm just…Not…Gay…" I tried to manage a smile.

Alex just grinned. "Oh Damian, one day, you'll understand. Maybe you don't realize it now, but…" His smile grew wider. "You aren't really in control of your sexuality."

"I'm not gay," I muttered, grabbing the door handle. "And please don't go around telling everyone that I am."

He raised his eyebrows. "You're just going through denial. I won't tell anyone, because it's best you do that on your own. Coming out to yourself is the hardest part of homosexuality."

I tensed up. Coming out to myself? But I'm not gay. From what I hear, you just realize you are, and I surely am not. "Thanks for that Alex, but I don't think I'll need it. I'm straight."

He rolled his eyes, and pushed the door open. "Whatever. But you can't say I didn't warn you. One day, Damian McGinty, you'll figure this all out."

I nodded, walking back over to Cameron's bed. "What did he need?" Cameron asked, looking both confused and curious.

I shrugged. "Nothing, really. He was just giving me some pointers on my dancing. Not that important, really."

He stared at me, as if deciding whether or not to believe my little story. "Oh… Well, why did he have to do it now? We're barely even dancing this week."

Sighing, I nodded. "I know. I can't figure out why he needed me now either. There was nothing really important we talked about or anything… Honestly, I didn't really understand it much…" I forced a small smile.

Cameron just gave me a small nod. "Okay. Whatever. Still doesn't make much sense, but eh. Whatever you say."

My stomach tightened. What was I supposed to say? Alex used his magical "gaydar" and decided I was homosexual? It was no use lying to Cameron, though. He knew I wasn't telling the truth, but I just couldn't say it. "Sorry Cam," I mumbled. "It was kind of, well, you know… It was a little private."

He deflated onto the bed. "Oh… Well, Damian, you don't have to tell me, but just so you're aware, I'm always here to chat." He grinned reassuringly.

My stomach twisted again. I winced in surprise. Every time is did that, I just wanted to lock myself in the bathroom and cry. Not knowing what caused them and having them so often really worried me. They never hurt… And I know I've had stomach qualms like this before, but I can never remember when and why… It was back in Ireland though. I can remember that.

"You okay?" McKynleigh asked from the bed next to me.

"Mhmmmm." I nodded, sounding last and kind of drunk. "Why do ya' ask?"

"You were just sitting there, rubbing your stomach," Samuel pointed out. "You aren't in any pain, are you?"

I quickly shook my head. "No… I'm fine! It's nothing, really. Just nerves, y'know? This silly competition has gotten to my head… And my stomach."

Emily stared at me. "This competition is anything but silly. This is serious business, and I'm going home with a gleeful contract."

Matheus sighed. "Too bad all but one of us have to go home… Wouldn't it be great if we could all just be Glee's new cast?"

McKynleigh nodded. "Yep, all of us. That includes Bryce and Ellis, too."

"I miss Ellis," Marissa muttered quietly. She wasn't too close to Ellis, but Ellis let her be very motherly toward her. Marissa was going to make an amazing mother when she's older with kids.

"I miss them both," Lindsay added with a shrug. "But I also want to win, so the more people gone, the better." She turned to one of the hidden cameras installed into our wall. "No offense."

McKynleigh rolled her eyes, smirking. Lindsay never failed to amuse us, even when it wasn't intended.

…

I pulled Marissa close as she cried. "I'm changing my sign," she sobbed. We all tried to comfort her. "Just seeing Alex being so out there like that… It feels wrong to go out there after him like this." She looked down at her sign, tears streaming down her cheeks. "It needs to be more personal," she muttered, barely audible.

McKynleigh shushed her. "Oh, 'Rissa, sh… It's okay, hush now…" She pushed a strand of hair from Marissa's face. "It'll be okay. Erik will understand. He'll let you change it for sure."

Marissa nodded. "Okay…" She scampered outside to the Universal City Walk, where our video was being shot. My sign was off, and all I had on was my shirt and pants. Normally, it wouldn't bother me, but it was freaking freezing outside.

Cameron tossed me his jacket. I looked down at it, and then back up at him, stunned. "You looked cold," he shrugged.

I tried to give it back to him. "Yeah, but aren't you cold, too?"

He shook his head, refusing to take it. "Nah, I'm fine. A little bit chilly, but find for the most part. Don't worry about me, okay? Just wear the damn jacket."

I reluctantly put it on, letting it consume me in its warmth. "Thank you," I said to him, genuinely grateful.

"Hey, don't mention it, Hun. Anything for me dearest Damo," he replied with a cheeky smile.

My stomach leaped up to my throat. I coughed to avoid calling any attention to it. I don't know if it didn't work, or if what Cameron said next was just completely random.

"So, how's your stomach been holding up?" He asked, tilting his head to the side slightly.

I gulped, pretending to be a little clueless. "My… Stomach…?"

He shrugged, nodding. "Well, yeah. Sometimes when you talk to me, you complain about your stomach. Sometimes though, you just put your hand on it like you're in pain. Is it any better?"

I nodded, deciding to lie a little bit. "Yep, it's better. Just this whole competition, y'know? I'm getting nervous about winning! You're all so much better than me!"

Cameron shook his head. "Um, no way Damian. You have the coolest voice ever. It's so deep, and very unique. I love how your accent makes some songs sound so damn perfect." He smiled.

My stomach fluttered. "Thank you… Your voice is pretty cool too, Cam. I'd do a heck of a lot of crap to have a voice like yours."

Hannah sighed. "You both have amazing voices, but I don't want either of them. I prefer my female voice, thank you very much."

Cameron shrugged. "I don't think you'd sound half bad with our manly voices. But hey, have it your way. Anyway, who do you think will be in the bottom three?"

"Me," I muttered. "I mean, I'm not one to look on the bad side of things, but… This week, I kinda sucked. How was I supposed to look vulnerable and emotional when my word was numb? I wasn't supposed to be emotional!"

Hannah laughed. "Jeeze Damian, calm down. Everyone had the same look. Plus, it's not like you ruined the whole song. Your voice sounded freaking amazing, and I thought you looked simply fabulous," she said, smiling.

I felt myself blush. "Why thank you, Hannah."

"Hey, don't mention it!" She replied. "You know I love you." She turned to Cameron, eyeing him in a friendly manner. "You, on the other hand… I don't know what we're going to do with you."

Cameron stuck his tongue out at her. "Whatever. You both love me."

I laughed, nodding. Cameron had that magical ability to make anyone and everyone happy.

…

"I knew it," I mumbled, sitting in my prep room. Although I had expected it, I still felt lousy, and _very _worried. Emily, Cameron, and I were all in the bottom. One of us had to go home. None of us wanted to. I practiced my song. It was "Are You Lonesome Tonight" by Elvis Presley, and it just happened to be very hard. Getting past this week was going to be a challenge.

When it was time for me to sing, I slowly trudged onto the stage. Ryan, Robert, and Zach were all waiting for me. "Hullo," I began. "I'm Damian McGinty, and I will be singing 'Are You Lonesome Tonight' by Elvis." I started singing with the music. After about five seconds into the song, I felt the tears in my eyes. Honestly, I didn't know what brought them. Sure, the song was sad and all, but music usually doesn't make me emotional. As I finished, Ryan Murphy quickly jotted something down in his notebook.

"Thank you, Damian." He said some other stuff to me too, but I was too busy holding back the tears. I'm sure it was obvious that I was crying, but I really didn't want to start sobbing right here. "You may go now," Ryan said, motioning for my disappearance with his hand.

Back in our room, everyone was trying their best not to crying. I couldn't blame them; one of us was leaving the show forever.

"I think I'm leaving," Cameron announced, sighing. "Ryan Murphy didn't like me much. He told me I had given him a 'coffee-house' performance. Then he told me to go change my clothes and sing again!"

Robert walked in with a sad, guilty look on his face. He didn't say much, except for, "This list is up. Good luck, guys."

My heart thudded hard in my chest as I made my way to the callback list. It seemed almost impossible for me to make it. Yet, somehow… I did.

"_Not Called Back: Emily"_

I just stood there, my mouth gaping. Emily was out of here. She got the boot, sadly. Cam, my best mate, was safe another week. Cam, my best mate, had another shot of winning this thing. Heck, I had a shot at winning this. I made it through three weeks, already being in the bottom three twice. It's only going to get harder from here, but I'm willing to try my best. Either my best mate or I have to win this.


	4. Chapter 4: Dance Ability

_A/N- Hello, my lovelies! Sorry this chapter took for-freaking-ever. I had a lot on my plate these last few months… I'll try to get chapter 5 out sooner, haahaa. Anyway, enjoy! I really like this chapter, so I hope you do too! By the way, the song Samuel sings is called "Not Over You" by Gavin DeGraw. I love that song!_

Chapter 4

"He looks so cute in that picture!" Lindsay gushed, looking at her laptop computer.

Marissa scrunched up her nose. "His hair is too short in that one, and his smile looks kinda funny. Well, no offense."

"Forget what he looks like… I could listen to him sing all day!" Hannah exclaimed, grinning wildly.

"Who are they talking about?" I asked Cameron.

He shrugged. "I don't know. That one guy who sings that one TV show's theme song."

"That's a lot of help," I mumbled. "Samuel, do you know?"

He shook him head. "I can't recall his name, but he sings One Tree Hill's theme song. My sister loves that show."

"Oh!" Matheus shouted, a look of recognition appearing on his face. "They're talking about Gavin DeGraw, I think. He sings 'I Don't Wanna Be', which is, as you said, One Tree Hill's theme song." He raised his eyebrow at the girls, who were all huddled around Lindsay's computer. "And apparently, he's only attractive sometimes."

McKynleigh looked up at as. "Yeah, but only sometimes." She snatched the laptop from Lindsay and brought it over to us. "Look at both of these and compare."

"Hm," I murmured, studying the photos. "Well, the first one is definitely the best picture of him."

"Exactly!" Marissa exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air. "What do you think, Cameron?"

He shrugged. "Oh, I have to agree with Damian. The second one is kind of just a bad picture."

Hannah stared at the picture. "I don't know… I don't really find Gavin that attractive. Not my type, really. But holy moly, can that boy sing!" She pressed a button on the laptop that started playing music.

Cameron sighed and dug his face into the pillow. He looked oddly miserable, and honestly, it was quite sad to watch. "Cam?" I asked. "You okay?"

He looked up, nodding. "Yeah… I just… The song. I don't like the song. It makes me sad. I guess…" He laughed nervously. "I guess I just miss Macy. I know the song is about breaking up, but… I just miss her so bad, sometimes it hurts."

For some reason, that made me cringe. "…Oh," I muttered, looking away. "Well… I'm sorry."

Samuel hummed along to, bursting out in song during the chorus. He sounded really, really good. "_If__you__ask__me__how__I__'__m__doing,_ _I__would__say__I__'__m__doing__just__fine._ _I__would__lie__and__say__that__you__'__re__not__on__my__mind._ _But__I__go__out,__and__I__sit__down__at__a__table__set__for__two,__and__finally,__I__'__m__forced__to__face__the__truth__… __No__matter__what__I__say,__I__'__m__not__over__you.__"_ He stopped singing, smiling as we all clapped.

"Wow Samuel, you sounded amazing!" Marissa commented. "If you win, they should really let you sing that on Glee."

He blushed. "Thanks, Marissa. That's really sweet. It means a lot to me."

I just had to roll my eyes. They so liked each other, but both of them were completely oblivious. How can love be so romantic, yet so stupid at the same time?

"So… Any guesses on what this week's theme will be?" Hannah asked, looking at us with curiosity.

Lindsay shrugged. "Well, what have we done so far?"

"Let's see…. Three weeks… Last week was vulnerability, and before that we had theatricality, and, um…" Matheus listed, counting off with his fingers.

"Originality," Marissa said, finishing off his sentence.

"I think it might have something to do with singing. Singing well," Alex said with a stupid smile on his face.

"Hopefully it's somewhat like last week, y'know? No dancing involved." I grinned. I was a horrible dancer, and I wasn't going to get better anytime soon.

Cameron rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. You're not that bad. There are a lot of people worse than you out there. You're nothing in comparison."

Hannah laughed. "I don't know… Damian's pretty darn bad." She winked to show that she was kidding.

Matheus sighed. "Dancing or not, I just want to live to see next week. Stupid competition's getting on my nerves. Well, no. The fear of not getting called back is what's driving me crazy. Can't stand it."

Lindsay shrugged. "Don't worry about tomorrow, Matheus. Just get done with today."

Marissa nodded. "That right there is good advice. I advise you all to take that good advice." She smiled, giggling.

Alex rolled his eyes. He didn't look very amused with us. "So, when can we look and see what our homework assignment is?"

Samuel checked his watch. "In about half and hour or something… Why?"

Alex sighed. "I want to know. We need to practice. Only eight of us can make it into next week, and dammit, one of them better be me."

"You don't even know what it is yes," Matheus mumbled. "What if you like, suck at whatever it happens to be? Then you may not even have a very good change."

Alex fumed. I stifled a giggle. He looked so angry, but so funny at the same time. Thank goodness I was successful at holding my laugh in. He probably would have ripped off my face.

Just then, one of the camera men walked into the room. "We, uh, have the cameras up and running," he informed. "If you want to, you can go early, I guess."

Cameron shrugged. "Sounds good to me. The sooner I can learn what the hell this homework assignment is, the sooner I can stop worrying about it."

Alex practically leaped out of his seat. "Okay guys, let's go!" His eyes twinkled with excitement.

Lindsay grinned. "I'm excited guys. Holy cow guys, we're in the fourth week. We've made it through three eliminations."

Come to think of it, it did happen to be pretty amazing, considering I was in the bottom three twice. "We should go," I urged, curious about what our assignment would be.

Hannah hooked arms with Marissa, smiling widely. "Well, duh! Let's go!" We made our way to the homework assignment room, which we had affectionately named "The Room". The Room was where our assignment was posted each week.

We waited outside The Room for our cue to go in. When the cue was given, I practically busted the doors down trying to get in. "Oh. Oh shit," I muttered, gulping as I stared at the blackboard. Our song was "Hey Soul Sister" by Train. That didn't worry me. I'd sang that song before. It was our focus for the week that caught me off guard.

"Dance Ability," Cameron stated, resting his elbow on my shoulder. "How the heck am I supposed to get passed this week, Damo? You know I'm a horrible dancer!"

I shrugged, forcing his elbow off of me. "Hey, I'm not any better. Remember what Lindsay said? I happen to be worse than Cory Monteith, y'know."

He laughed. "But your dancing just looks kind of awkward… No offense, I mean. You just look awkward while I just look all-around bad."

I shook my head, confused. If anything, it was the other way around. I was the bad dancer, and he was the awkward one. Besides, his quirky moves were adorable. "Wait…" I murmured to myself, dumfounded. Did I just think his dance moves were…?

"Are you, um…? Damian, you okay?" Cameron asked, resting his hand on my shoulder.

"Yes!" I squeaked, batting his hand away. My stomach fluttered.

"Hey, Damian, come here," McKynleigh asked, smiling warmly. "Dance with me please."

I froze, my eyes wide. "What? You want to what?"

Alex giggled. "Dance with her, silly. Go on." I saw the challenge in his eyes, and I thought back to last week when he had mistaken me for gay.

I smiled, accepting his challenge. "Okay, sure. Of course I will. Come here, McKynleigh."

She put her hands on my shoulders and I wrapped my arms around her waist. We swayed back and forth, a little too fast to be considered slow dancing. When Alex raised his eyebrow at me, I just grinned with triumph.

McKynleigh giggled. "I've never danced like that before. Thank you, Damian."

That took me by surprise. She's really never dances with anyone before? "McKynleigh, wait." I grabbed her wrist as she tried walking away. "I know it doesn't sound like much, but I', lucky to be the first guy to slow dance with you. You're a beautiful girl McKynleigh, and any guy would be lucky to have you."

She widened her eyes, and for a second, I thought I said something completely wrong. Then she through her arms around me. "Thanks, Damian. You're a great friend. Any girl would be lucky to have you too."

Someone tapped on my shoulder and I spun around. Hannah stood there with her head cocked to the side, and a goofy grin on her face. "What was that all about? Does Mr. McGinty have a lady-friend?"

"Shut up," I said, smiling. "She just wanted to dance, and I agreed. It was nice. McKynleigh's sweet, that's for sure. I just don't like her, you know, that way."

Hannah shrugged. "Hey, I get it. Completely understandable." She paused, looking behind her shoulder. "Maybe you should go help Cameron a bit. I don't think he seems to quite understand the concept…"

I looked over her shoulder to see Cameron… Dancing the way Cameron does. Giving Hannah a confused look, I shrugged. "Calm down. He's fine, just doing his little… 'Cam Dance'. You have to admit though; it's really not that bad…"

She sighed. "I know… You're right." She smiled. "I'm just jealous that he's doing better than me! Don't tell him I said that though. I'd have to kill you!"

I chucked. "Don't worry, Hannah. He won't find out. I promise."

She glared at me, a joking gleam in her eyes. "Oh, he won't. I'll be sure of that," she said.

Just then, someone grasped my shoulder. I yelped, practically jumping out of my skin.

"Whoa, dude, calm down. It's just me." I turned to see Samuel standing there. Matheus was next to him, looking confused.

"You okay man?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes," I informed. "You just startled me, that's all." I sighed. "So what do you need?"

"Alex said everyone needs to practice as a group now. I guess this is the 'most important assignment'." Samuel shrugged. "His words, not mine."

"Well then," I muttered, standing up straight. "I guess we should go practice for this very important assignment. Whataya' say?"

…

My breath got stuck in my throat. Of all the guest mentors, why did they have to choose him? This isn't going to end well…

"Well, I'm ready to see your skills!" Harry Shum Jr., the best dancer on Glee, said excitedly. I was so scared. How the hell was I going to manage to dance well in front of him?

"Get ready," Cameron mumbled to me under his breath.

I nodded, mostly to myself. I would not let Harry psych me out. It was just intimidating, having him there watching me, y'know?

"I knew when we collided," Cam sang, "colliding" with me. My stomach jerked.

I think we did pretty well. Sure, I definitely wasn't the best dancer there, but… I didn't suck. I wasn't terrible, that's for sure.

Samuel ended up winning the homework assignment. I could understand that. His dance moves were good, and definitely unique.

When Harry told Alex it looked like he wasn't really trying, Alex argued. He said he was trying to throw the competition so someone else could be able to win. Honestly, he sounded like a little kid when they "mean" to do something so it didn't look like they messed up. It looked like all a big act.

Everyone else's dancing was really good. I was particularly fond of Lindsay's dance. Although, the girl was adorable, so I would probably like anyone she did. I wasn't in love with her or anything, she's just too beautiful to resist.

"Damo!"

I whipped my head around quickly. I heard something crack in my neck, and I winced in pain. "Cameron, what do ya' need?" I muttered, rubbing my neck. Hopefully it was just a quick, passing pain. I don't want to be injured and have to back out of the competition…

"You did great, man," he said, smiling. His smile looked genuine, like one of a proud father. I couldn't help but to smile back.

"Thanks Cam! You were pretty awesome too. If only I was half as good as you!" My stomach fluttered. It literally felt like there were butterflies in my gut.

"So, do you want to go back to the boy's dorm, or hang here for a while? The others said it's up to you." He laughed. "Damian McGinty, the tie-breaker."

I shrugged, laughing. "Oh, I dunno. Why don't we stay here? We're always in the boy's dorm. Not that I don't like it there, but… We're only in this room once a week. I just don't get tired of it."

Matheus laughed. "Jeeze Damian. We asked you a simple question; we weren't looking for your full explanation!" He paused, looking around. "Well, I guess it's settled then. We'll stay here."

Samuel raised an eyebrow. "And, um, who made you in charge?"

McKynleigh laughed. "Oh, of course Matheus isn't in charge. He's too small." She winked at him to show she was kidding. "Damian was our tie-breaker."

I nodded. "Yup, and I chose to stay in here. Well, um, you know, if that's okay with you…"

Hannah rolled her eyes. "Well dud! We're still here, aren't we? Silly Damian! What's going through your head, boy?"

I thought for a second, trying to visualize what was going through my head at the moment. "Well, um…"

She held up her hand. "Scratch that. I changed my mind. I don't want to know. It's probably some perverted boy crap."

Marissa giggled. "Oh, I doubt Damian would have that dirty of a mind… I mean, look at him! Innocent to the max, am I right?" She smiled warmly. "Oh Damian. You know we adore you."

Cameron snorted. "Adore? Oh, I wouldn't be so sure."

Alex sighed. "Sorry Damian. I love you, as a friend, but adore is too strong of a word. It implies that I like, have a crush on you or something. Which I don't. No offense."

I shrugged. "Hey, none taken. I understand completely." I glared at Cam. "But you, Cameron freaking Mitchell, I expected more from you."

Lindsay giggled. "Since you two are getting all hot and heavy…" I blushed. "Can I choose someone to love, too?"

Matheus gave her a thumbs up. "By all means, go ahead. Damian and Cameron are too in love to realize what's going on around them, anyway."

I know he meant it as a joke, but I got all flustered anyway. I felt embarrassed, exposed, for no reason at all.

"Okay!" Lindsay squealed, standing up. She scampered over to Marissa, who was tying her shoe. "Marissa von Bleicken."

Marissa looked up, surprised. "Lindsay…? You weren't serious, were you…? I mean…"

"Oh, of course not!" Lindsay replied, her voice cracking ever-so slightly. "Anyway…" She grabbed Marissa's hand. "Rissa, will you be my lover for life?"

Marissa giggled. "Of course, Miss Lindsay Pearce!" She blushed, and then smiled. "I mean, of course. I'd love to!"

Samuel harrumphed, shifting in his seat. For a guy who has just won the homework assignment, he didn't look too happy. Then, I remembered. He liked Marissa. Problem was, he didn't know I knew.

"Sam," I murmured quietly. "Samuel, she's just messing around. Don't worry. Lindsay isn't going to turn her lesbian or anything."

His eyes widened and it looked like he was going to say something, but he just nodded.

Hannah plopped down next to me. She put her face close to mine. "Damian, can I ask you something?"

I shrugged. "O' course. You can ask me anything, Hannah."

She smiled. "Well, okay then… Damian Joseph McGinty, are you homosexual?"

I blinked and just sat there speechless. "What? Hannah… What gave you that crazy idea?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. Alex wanted me to ask you. Don't ask me why. I have no clue. I guess a better question, one I actually want to ask, would be this," she shifted in her seat, looking kind of uncomfortable. "What do you do if you like a guy, but have no clue if he likes you back?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Hannah… To be honest, I have no clue. I'm sorry. I'm not very experienced with that. I'm really sorry. Why do you ask?" I wondered, cocking my head to the side.

She laughed. "Mo reason…. I was just curious, that's all."

I nodded. "Oh. I see… That's cool. Are you excited for this week?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh yeah, I'm thrilled. I'm such an expert dancer." She smiled. "I do like the song though," she said, referring to this week's song, "Can't Touch This".

I shook my head. "Yikes. I'm kind of intimidated by it, y'know? I cannot rap. I just… I just can't!"

She shrugged. "I don't know how good I am. I've never tried. I mean, I don't think I'll be great, but… I can't really be that bad, can I?"

I chuckled, smiling. "Hannah, you'll do just fine. I promise. Trust me on this one. You'll be amazing."

…

"I am so done with this!" Matheus groaned, resting his head on the wall.

Cameron sighed, sitting down on the floor. "You can say that again. I'm dying here."

Zach clapped his hands. "Come on, guys! This is only the beginning. We still need to get a lot done today! Who's ready to try again?"

I weakly raised my hand, even though I felt as though I was about to pass out.

"Oh, good. See guys? Damian, McKynleigh, and Alex are willing to keep going. Oh, you too Lindsay? Great." He smiled, looking around. "We could just learn the dance without the rest of you. That would really improve your chanced of doing a last chance performance."

That really seemed to get everyone motivated.

After about twenty minutes of practice, Cameron turned to me. "Hey," he panted, exhausted. "How are you holding up?"

I shrugged, sweat dripping down my back. "Could be better, but I'm not complaining. And yourself?"

He giggled. "Jesus, Damo, your accent is so awesome. I love it." I gave him a confused look as my stomach flipped. He smiled. "They way you say certain things, like yourself. You said it just like this." He pronounced it "yurshulf".

I laughed. "Yikes. I never noticed how weird stuff comes out when I talked. I sound odd…"

Marissa danced passed us. "Not weird, Damian. Just Irish! I think it's cute." She danced away before I could thank you.

"She's right," Cameron said. "It really isn't weird, Damian. Besides, it's what makes you, well, you."

I felt myself blush. "Thanks Cam. I really appreciate it. My voice really isn't that special though."

Lindsay stopped by us to get a drink of water. "Of course it is, Damian. Everyone's voice is special. Even Cameron's regular, ordinary voice is extraordinary in a way!"

He hung his head and sighed. "Thanks, Lindsay. I love you…"

"Love you too!" she gushed, skipping away.

"Thanks for making me feel bad," Cam murmured, looking back at her.

"Oh Cam… I'm sure she means well… She just doesn't know how to say it in the nicest of ways," I said, trying to reassure him.

He shook his head. "Thanks, Damo. I love Lindsay, I do, but… Yikes. She's just a little much for me. Thank goodness we're not dating or anything. I wouldn't be able to live with that."

My eyes widened. "Why? Do you want to be dating her?" For some reason, the thought perturbed me.

"No," he laughed. "I have Macy, remember? She's all the love I can handle at the moment." He paused for a second. "But I love you too, of course. I just don't, you know, love you."

For some reason, that bugged me even more. "I, um, need a drink of water," I mumbled, stepping away. I felt rude, but there was something about our conversation that was driving me crazy.

…

"Damian, are you okay?" Marissa asked, rapping on the bathroom door.

Sitting on the edge of the bathtub, I shook my head. I knew she couldn't see me. "…Yeah. I'm a fine. I'm just a little nauseous, that's all."

I heard her lean up against the door. "Damian… We have to be at the set soon. Will you be okay?"

I opened the door slowly, so I could be sure not to hurt her. "Just tell Erik I'll be a little late… I really just need time to rest. Do you think you could please do that for me?"

She nodded. "Of course. But are you sure you'll be okay in here all along?"

"I'll stay with him," Cameron offered, shrugging.

I shook my head. "No way, Cam. Go to rehearsal. I'll be fine alone."

Lindsay stood up. "I'll stay with you, and I will not take no for an answer!"

I sighed. "Lindsay…"

She grinned. "No, Damian, hush. I'm happy to do it."

I reluctantly nodded. "Well, okay, sure. Fine."

Her face lit up excitedly. "Okay, awesome! Thank you Damian!"

"…You're welcome?" I was very surprised. Lindsay was the very last person I expected to skip some video time for me. I couldn't believe it, to be honest. "But do you think you could leave me be while I rest?"

"Sure," she replied, but I could hear the lie in her sweet little voice.

After everyone left, she plopped down next to me. "Lindsay," I mumbled, my face in my pillow, "You said you'd leave me alone."

She inched closer to me. "I know. I know I'm a dirty, stinking liar. I don't care though." She smiled.

I looked up at her. "Lindsay… Why did you volunteer to stay in here with me when you could be out there, shooting the video?"

She stayed quiet, studying my face. "…There's more to you than meets the eye, isn't there?"

I felt my face twist in confusion. "What?"

She squinted her eyes slightly and turned her head. "But I just can't seem to figure it out…"

I opened my mouth to say something, but quickly closed it. What was I supposed to say? I have no clue what the heck this girl was talking about!"

She chuckled softly. "Damian, you looked very confused."

I nodded. "I can't really comprehend a word you're saying…"

She smiled. "You're adorable when you're confused." She quickly shut her mouth, shaking her head. "But I'm not flirting with you or anything, okay?"

I was very much confused. "Um…. Okay…? Linds, what's going on?"

She swallowed. "Nothing. I'm fine."

I nodded, still confused beyond belief. "We, uh, need to get to the video shoot. We said we'd be late, not that we'd miss it."

She grabbed my wrist, pulling me up. "Okay then, let's go. They probably miss us!"

I stumbled after her. My head whirred in confusion. I always thought Lindsay was interesting, but what was going on with her? And what was she doing, studying my face like that? She told me she wasn't flirting, and I believed her. I've seen what love looks like, and when she was staring into my eyes… I didn't see it. I saw something, though. Confusion? Wonder? Interest? It was mysterious for sure. Lindsay was hard to figure out, but I was going to find out the truth eventually.

We walked out of the set. Erik, Zack, and Robert smiled when they saw us. "Hey, nice of you to join us!" Robert joked.

I grinned. "So, where do I go?" I asked, looking around.

"Over there, with Matheus and Marissa," Erik said, pointing. "I'll come with you, so I can show you your mark and stuff."

I nodded, and then turned to head in the general direction of my mark. "Here?" I asked uncertainly.

He cocked his head, concentrating. "Um… No, a little more to the left. Okay, stop." I obediently obeyed.

We practiced our verses and our dances a few times before we actually started shooting. They had Marissa do a solo "booty-pop" on the wall. Now, I'm not in love with her anything, but… Whoa. I knew she's hot, but… Golly. It was quite sexy.

"We're all committing sins in our heads," I said, staring at her awkwardly.

"Ewwww," Alex giggled, looking away. It seemed silly that he was looking in a different direction. Even the girls were mesmerized by Marissa's dance.

"You okay, Damian?" Cameron asked, smirking.

"I'm fine," I murmured, finally finding myself able to tear my eyes away. "Why do you ask?"

He shrugged. "Oh, no reason. Just that you were caught in some kind of 'Marissa Trance'. Unless, of course, you just in a 'Cameron Trance', thinking about me," he said, winking.

My stomach did a little dance. "Oh, haha. You wish." I laughed, rolling my eyes.

"What up, gals?" Hannah asked, squishing her way in between us. "Talking about your best friend?" She giggled, striking a pose.

"Oh, you mean Marissa? Yes, actually, we were. Glad you noticed," Cameron informed, trying his best to keep a straight face.

Hannah sighed, punching him lightly on the arm. "Whatever. How is your dancing coming along, Damian? From what I saw, you looked pretty good. Am I correct?"

I shrugged. "Well, I could always do a bit better, y'know? But I guess I am doing well. For a week all centered around dancing, I mean."

"I couldn't help overhearing your conversation," McKynleigh said, blushing with a guilty look on her face. "I just wanted to let you know you're all doing amazing. Really, you're all doing amazing. I can't wait to see the completed video!"

Hannah grinned wildly. "Thank you! You're doing awesome, McKynleigh. I'd say your part is the hardest part to rap in the whole song! Your dancing is great, too." They exchanged hugs and McKynleigh scampered away.

"Well, I'd better get back to my mark," Cameron stated, sighing. "Come on, Hannah."

She waved to me. "See ya', Damian! Talk to you later! Good luck with the video."

"Thanks!" I called back, feeling a random pang of jealousy as she walked off with Cam. What's wrong with me?

…

"And that's a wrap!" Erik said, grinning toward us.

I cheered silently. I was extremely sweaty, and still catching my breath. This week was very, very hard. How I'm still alive is quite a mystery.

"You okay?" Marissa asked, offering me a cold bottle of water.

I took it and greedily chugged the whole bottle. "Yes and thank you!"

Cameron laughed at me. "Are you sure you aren't going to die? Damo, you look like you're about to pass out."

"And pass out I will," I muttered, sighing. "I'm really, really tired."

"Then sit down," Hannah suggested, shrugging. "That's what I'm doing… I'm all tuckered out. This week was a challenge."

McKynleigh nodded, panting. "Ain't that the truth? I'm dying here!"

"For the record, I'm not that tired," Alex said, shrugging. "I think I did pretty well this week. How do you guys feel?"

"Well, I'm confident with my dancing, but… Rapping is a lot harder than just singing normally. We'd better not rap again," Samuel said, shaking his head.

"You can say that again," I muttered. "It's definitely not my strongest subject..."

"I think you did pretty well," Matheus said, grinning slightly. "I think I'm actually a pretty okay rapper."

Lindsay pushed him playfully. "Hey now, no need to get cocky on us," she teased, giggling.

Marissa grinned, shifting in her seat. "It's okay, Linds. Cockiness is the first step in becoming an actor bitch. We don't want to get in the way of that, do we?"

Cameron shook his head. "Don't encourage him, guys. Do you really want to have to live with that?"

Matheus giggled. "Don't worry guys. I'm fine. You won't get an actor bitch out of me."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Well, one of us is going to leave this week anyway, so they won't have to hear it."

I shot him a death glare. I really hated talking or thinking about eliminations. Strangely though, it didn't bug my stomach. I'm beginning to think it has nothing to do with this competition.

…

"So… Eliminations tomorrow… How ya' holding up?" Cameron asked, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.

I sighed, shrugging. "I'm really nervous, that's for sure. I don't think I did that great… You've seen my dancing, you know I suck!"

He laughed. "That's not true. Stop saying that to yourself. It'll just make you worse. You know that, right?"

I shook my head. "Um… Nu-uh."

"Well, if you say something enough, you'll just believe it enough for it to be true. And that will just make you worse." He looked at me, pleading with his eyes. "Don't discourage yourself, Damo."

Reluctantly, I nodded. My stomach tightened, but I barely took notice to it. They seemed to become more and more common, so I just learned to ignore them. It wasn't easy at first, but eventually, I got the hang of it. Now, I could do pretty much anything and say almost everything I wanted without being bothered. It was quite a nice feeling. "Thanks Cam. You either." I sighed. "I just wish we could both win."

He chuckled. "Same here. Hannah too. And… How about Samuel? He's a pretty cool guy."

I smiled. "Maybe Marissa and Lindsay, too? Could they tag along with us?"

"Heck, why don't we just take everyone? Emily, Ellis, and Bryce included," Cameron said, grinning.

Samuel stepped out of the bathroom, looking rather surprised to see us. "Aren't you guys supposed to be somewhere?"

Cameron shrugged. "It's our free time, isn't it? Why can't we spend it in our own room?"

Samuel shook his head. "No, I just thought… I expected you guys would be with Hannah and them."

Cameron looked surprised. "Why did you think that? Do we need to be there? Is there something important we're missing?"

"Well, no, I just… You're always hanging out with Hannah, so I guess I just expected you to be with her. Sorry."

"Well, I guess we _could_ go over there now. Marissa's hanging with them," I said, glancing knowingly at Samuel.

Cameron must have noticed and realized what was going on. "Wait, you… And Marissa? Really?"

I mouthed "I'm sorry" to show Samuel that I didn't mean for Cameron to find out.

"Well, no…" He sighed. "Nothing's going on between us, I promise. But, gosh… She's simply beautiful. It seems almost impossible not to like her."

"I know what you mean," I said, grinning. "Marissa's amazing. Samuel, if I were you, I'd go for it. What do you have to lose?"

Cameron gave me a look that could only be described as confused. "How could they go on a date when we're confined to this building?"

I shrugged. "Oh, I don't know… Maybe we could talk to Robert or Zach and see if they'll let them have dinner alone or something."

Samuel's eyes kept darting to the door nervously. He was probably afraid Marissa was just going to waltz right on in. "But… Don't I have some competition?"

I snorted. "Between who? Alex and Matheus? Because I'm highly certain that out of all of us, you would be her first pick."

"Well, uh, okay then. I guess I could give it a shot," he said, looking at the door again. "Well, wish me luck then! Thanks for the advice, guys." He walked out of the dorm, glowing with confidence.

"Did you ever have a girlfriend?" Cameron asked, leaning up against the bed frame.

"Yes," I said, like it was obvious. "Back in Ireland. I loved her to death, but I had to leave her. I wanted this too much."

"Do you regret it?" he asked softly, staring up at the roof.

I looked at the dorm I was in. I looked everything around me, and I looked back at Cameron. "No. Not at all…"

…

I gulped, sitting silently in the Room. Luckily, I wasn't in the bottom three, and neither was Cam. Hannah, Marissa, and Lindsay were safe too. This week, Alex, Matheus, and McKynleigh were performing for Ryan Murphy. Alex was kind of understandable. He didn't really look like he was really trying at all this week. He just acted sort of out of it. Matheus was acting kind of, well… Like a man-diva, I guess. I loved the little guy, but he really seemed to get on my nerves this week. McKynleigh was the only one that was a surprise to me. I personally thought she did really well this week. She looked like she was trying very hard, and she seemed to be enjoying herself.

Everyone sat silently, worried about our fellow contenders. "So, um…" Lindsay started, breaking the deadly silence. "It's nice to know we'll get another change, but, um… I kind of really don't want any of them to leave. They're, you know… My friends." She looked down and I saw a tear stream down her face.

Marissa pulled her close into a friendly hug. "Sh… It's okay, Lindsay… Look on the bright side; they all got to meet the amazing Lindsay Pearce!"

Lindsay attempted to smile. "Thank you, Rissriss," she muttered, burying her face into Marissa's stomach. Marissa rubbed comforting circles into her back

I sighed, resting my arm on one of the small, white pillows. "I know what you mean, Lindsay. I'm really, really stoked that I'll be here for next week, but at the same time, I also feel bad that one of them has to go home. It really just isn't fair, y'know?" I forced a small smile.

Cameron jumped in surprise when the door to the Room opened. Matheus, Alex, and McKynleigh walked in, looking understandably nervous.

Alex was the first one to speak up. "I doubt I'm going to be kicked off this week. I did really well, in my opinion. If I get kicked off, it'll be a surprise."

Samuel rolled his eyes. "Don't get cocky, dude. That'll just make things worse for you. If they show this stuff on TV, fans may think you're just an ignorant bitch."

Hannah glared at Samuel. She hated it when we called each other names. I thought it was sweet.

Matheus chuckled. "I almost dropped the microphone. I was dancing around, ripping my shirt off… It was crazy. Ryan Murphy laughed. I think that was a good sign…"

McKynleigh managed a smile, looking both confident and nervous. "I think I did pretty well. They gave me the best song, 'Last Name'! I nailed it, but I don't know if I nailed it well enough…" She gnawed on her fingernail nervously.

"I'm sure you all did great," Cameron encouraged. He looked almost as scared as McKynleigh. It was pretty heartbreaking, actually. Seeing him that sad… It hurt me, and I didn't know why.

"Thanks," Alex muttered, looking at the clock. "I'm very interested in seeing the list now… This is intense."

Marissa raised her eyebrow. "Getting intense? Alex, it's only the fourth week! How is it already intense?"

Lindsay looked up at her, shocked. "You better be kidding… Marissa, it was intense from the get go!"

Marissa smiled. "Well, duh! Man, this competition has been a crazy, nerve-wracking, gut-wrenching production ever since I sent my audition video in. I can't be the one to say this isn't intense."

"Can we please stop saying that word?" Hannah whined, laughing. "It's driving me crazy!"

We all giggled. For an elimination day, the mood was pretty uplifting. Everyone was having fun, savoring their last minutes with whoever was getting the boot.

The Room's door opened behind us. The mood immediately darkened. Everyone let out a sigh, turning to face Robert. The feeling I had right now could only be described as pure worry.

"Well guys, sadly, the time has come again. This week, it was very hard to reach our decision. Good luck." And with that, he left the room, leaving us filled with pain and worry.

Alex, Matheus, and McKynleigh left the room. After waiting around five minutes or so, the rest of us quickly followed. We saw McKynleigh sitting on the piano chair, looking miserable. Tears ran down her cheeks. It broke my heart, seeing her like that. We all tried our best to comfort her. I have her a hug. The others gave her kind words of encouragement. When it was time for her to leave, Cam stopped her.

"McKynleigh, wait!" he called breathlessly. "These… Are for you." He handed her a few yellow flowers.

Her face lit up. "Cameron! You did not just do that! Thank you so much!" She gave him a huge hug. I felt a pang of jealousy.

Tears were shed as McKynleigh walked out of the room. She was an amazing young woman, and the competition would not be the same without her. I was really going to miss her. A wave of sadness washed over me.

"Cameron? I… I miss her already," I said, still staring at the door.

"Me too," he muttered, also gazing at the door. "Me too…"


	5. Letter from author

Dear amazing "Jessie's Girl" readers,

I can't tell you all how flattered I am that someone actually reads this story! When I started it, it was mostly just something I put together to keep me busy. I thought I'd put it up here, just so someone would read through it. I didn't expect people to actually like it! It means so much to me, you don't even know.

ANYWAY, I'm really sorry that I haven't updated in a while. School and life have gotten in the way. I'm sorry to say that I'm only about half-way done with chapter 5… So I don't know how much longer it'll take. I'm so sorry, you guys. I'm been stressed about it, writing nonstop, but it just isn't enough.

To try to make it up to you, I have a first look on chapter 5 for ya'. Just think of it as proof that I'm actually working on the story!

_"Stop it," I snapped, swatting Hannah's hand away. Ever since that one time Cameron tickled me, everyone else had tried to get me at one time or another. It was annoying, and it made my sides hurt. Not to mention I had a terribly annoying giggle._

_ She smiled. "Aw, is widdle Damy cranky? You could use a nice laugh, you know. You seem stressed."_

_ "That's because he is!" Cameron said! "We'll see the homework assignment in an hour. Why wouldn't he be stressed?"_

_ "Aren't you nervous?" I asked Hannah, steering her attention away from tickling me. _

_ She shrugged. "Well, yeah, I guess. I don't really think about my nerves that much. It just makes things worse, to be honest."_

_ I sighed. "Makes sense. I wish I could just ignore the nerves… It just seems impossible, y'know?"_

_ Cameron nodded his head in agreement. "I've tried a ton of things to get my mind off of the competition. Reading is the only thing that really does it for me." He held up the magazine he was reading._

_ "Either way, we have to go," Matheus said, somehow nudging his way into our conversation. "Samuel said we need to all meet outside the Room."_

_ "It can't be time for the homework assignment yet, right?" I asked, glancing at the clock._

_ "I don't think so," Matheus muttered, "But it seemed kind of urgent with the way he was talking."_

Have fun guessing what Samuel is up to! :P

Warm regards,

Blaire (Braang)


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